73 Reds

All depends on the stock and implied volatility. You need some degree of volatility in the stock for the premiums to justify the trades. When macro volatility is high, that helps a lot. It also works best when you can enter the entire trade for a sizable net credit and repeat writing short-dated calls and/or puts as frequently as possible.

@Red Lion My favorite options strategy during volatile times was to sell puts and buy LEAPs calls on a stock I liked (basically a futures position) and then sell short dated calls against the LEAPs position.

Voters had two choices. You confuse what they voted "for" vs. what they voted against.

Regrettably I believe there is a material segment of Americans rooting against the US. Apologists, those who make excuses for our past and present, and those who don't value safety, rule of law and even the merits of capitalism.

Understood, but there are folks rooting directly against the US and I wonder just what they stand for and support.

For those rooting against the US, precisely what are they rooting for?

Yep. This may have been the first election I can recall when folks didn't vote primarily for their pocket books. We were headed down a dark path IMO and Trump, with all his faults was perhaps the one guy capable of immediately changing course and getting the attention of anyone he wishes to deal with.

Of course. But you're really only hearing outspoken talking heads who believe they are smarter than they are. Or even worse, people who have made it in one aspect of life and henceforth believe they are experts on everything. That's why for me its easy to ignore social media. Even so, most people just get on with their lives.

@CastanzaYeah, I agree with most of that. Its really not difficult at all to ignore the noise. I find the local barber shop (was there this morning) one of the best places to get news and a cross-section of opinion. Likewise local coffee shops in early mornings along with the gym at about 5:00 am. These are people who mostly work or if retired, maintain healthy habits. Anecdotally, these folks seem to have more important things on their minds than Trump and his latest antics because they've lived through far worse. "This too shall pass" is a common refrain.

I see it a little differently. Independent thinking simply requires one to remove emotion and personal feelings from decision-making. Its actually quite easy to preserve emotion only for people I care about.

John that's an interesting question. But really, what makes anyone confident after each and every day the markets close that tomorrow won't bring some form of turmoil?

A trend? Sure - the S&P 500 went way higher every time thereafter. When you are as young as you are, the trend does not get much more telling.

LOL, Trump did it for you this morning.

That's life in the business world. We face unknowns every day, make necessary assumptions and deal with it as best we can. This is no different.

Management makes major, long term decisions with complete, or as near to complete data as there is. Any decisions made now are emotional and not fact driven because the facts have yet to play out. No one makes long term plans that can't be immediately changed during a state of flux.

Wouldn't want to invest in any companies making long term decisions based on the last 2-3 weeks.

Did he tell you how long? How much? When they would begin? You're acting as if Trump is a case of first impression. If you're predisposed to hate him I get it. I pay no attention to the reaction of financial markets to any of this other than using it as an opportunity. Otherwise, any immediate reactions are simply pure speculation.

What did hanging on every word get anyone during Trump's first go round? Only nut cases and the media took the bait and where are they now? They can thank themselves for likely being responsible for Trump's 2nd election. Meanwhile, while folks complain and endlessly hypothesize about short-term tariffs, business is booming where I live. In fact its so good that the State of Florida is looking for ways to return money it doesn't need to residents. At least in some places noise is recognized for what it is.

Hmm, when the guy responsible for the drawdown tells you to buy......

The "supporters" you speak of are all public figures with agendas. More than half the US population supported him.

People get upset when reality doesn't suit their agendas. What else is new?

LOL, it takes one to know one.

No Luke. Trump campaigned on tariffs ad nauseum. It is folks now having meltdowns who underestimated the present fallout.

Reading this thread is like being in an echo chamber. Don't you all get tired of reposting the same worn out criticisms over and over? To what end? Have to believe that any COBF member already knows how each of you feel. Do you find this productive?

Nice, I like the way you think. With financials, can't help to think the two namesakes of this Board offer plenty of exposure without 100% direct correlation to cyclical downturns. The worse things get, all the better for these two. But RE will always be my bread and butter - local, targeted, direct and hands on (well, mostly just delegate these days because they do a better job than me). In that general realm M is starting to look interesting. And some more JOE at lower prices.