With the E-Mini S&P hitting our rally target in the final moments of Friday’s session, we bought four QQQ Jan 54 puts or Jan 53 puts, respectively, for 0.96 or 0.74. These are keepers, since just about anything could happen between now and January 20 when the options expire. Do nothing further for now.  _______ UPDATE (11:02 a.m.EST):  In the chat room a moment ago, I suggested cashing out half of the puts at current prices: 1.16 for the Jan 54s, 0.91 for the Jan 53s.  That leaves us with two puts at either strike and a profit adjusted cost basis for each, respectively, of 0.76 and 0.57. Let’s spread off the risk by turning the positions in calendar spreads, shorting a December put for each Jan 54 put or Jan 53 put you currently hold. Do so in a 1:1 ratio, and shoot for putting on the spread for “even” or better.  What this means is that you will short the puts for the cost basis of the puts you now hold, selling December 53 puts for 0.57 (currently trading for around 0.09) and December 54 puts for 0.76 (currently trading for around 0.18).

Although the course of action suggested above may seem very conservative, it is essential that we nail down partial profits on option positions when possible, particularly on puts that have “come in.”  In the several decades that exchange-listed puts have been offered, instances in which put holders enjoyed more than three consecutive pleasurable days have been non-existent. I would dare say that at least 95 percent of all puts ever purchased “naked” have lost money for the trader.

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