Why The 3% Guideline Applies To Puts But Not To Call Options

 | Jul 16, 2017 01:24AM ET

Selling options (covered call writing and selling cash-secured puts) will result in a positive outcome in the first four of the following five scenarios:

  • Stock price moves up significantly
  • Stock price moves up slightly
  • Stock price remains the same
  • Stock price moves down slightly (less than option premium)
  • Stock price moves down substantially

Although it is important to enhance gains in the first four situations, it is critical we learn how to mitigate losses when the stock price is declining significantly. Because the BCI approach to selling calls is slightly different than how we approach puts, the 3% guideline will have application for put-selling only. Let’s first define the 3% guideline for put-selling:

If share price drops below the out-of-the-money put strike (lower than current market value) we sold and the stock is under-performing the overall market, we buy back that put option.

This is a defensive maneuver used to avoid catastrophic losses. Generally, closing this put position will result in a net debit because put value increases as share price decreases. Our goal is to keep loses small and then use the cash now freed up to secure another put position with a different underlying security.

Example of the 3% guideline for put-selling

  • Stock price = $51
  • Sell the $50 out-of-the-money put for $1.50
  • Share price declines to $48.00, 4% below the $50.00 strike
  • Buy-to-close the short put which has an intrinsic value of $2.00 plus a time value component. Let’s say a total cost-to-close of $2.50
  • Net debit = $1.00 and the now “freed-up” cash can be used to secure a different put position in an attempt to mitigate the $1.00 loss

Reasons why the 3% guideline is an asset when selling puts

In the BCI methodology, we select mainly out-of-the-money puts to generate monthly cash flow. The reason we sell puts is to avoid taking possession of the stock. If we sold near-the-money or in-the-money put strikes, the chances of exercise are much greater defeating the purpose of favoring puts over calls. There are exceptions to this rule. For example, when puts are sold in lieu of setting limit orders to buy a stock at a discount, near-the-money or in-the-money strikes are given more consideration.

Also, if we set goals for initial profit to be in the 2-4% range, targeting a 3% below strike price is reasonable to avoid catastrophic losses. It is true we usually will incur a net debit after closing the short put, but it will be a manageable loss.

Strike selection for covered call writing

With this strategy, we already own the stock prior to selling the call option. This means that in-the-money, near-the-money and out-of-the-money strikes are all in play . The 3% guideline may work for most in-the-money strikes since we collect intrinsic premium when we sell the initial in-the-money call. This will mitigate some of the share price loss when the stock is sold. However, if we sell out-of-the money call strikes the stock price may already be 3% below that strike or close to it.

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Real-life example with ANET ($95.00)