Trading Option Portfolios Using Expected Profit and Expected Loss Metrics

Abstract

When trading in the call and put contracts of option chains, the portfolios of strikes must be selected. The trader must also decide whether to take long or short positions at the selected strikes. Dynamic strategies for making these decisions are discussed in this paper. On any day, the strategies estimate the drift and volatility parameters of the future probability distribution of the price of the underlying asset. From this distribution, the trader can further estimate the future expected profit and expected loss that may be experienced for any portfolio of strikes of the call and put contracts. Expected profit and expected loss are the reward and risk metrics of such portfolios. An optimal portfolio can then be selected by making the reward as high as possible under the risk tolerance set by the trader. Extensive back-testing applications to historical data of SPY option chains illustrate the effectiveness of these strategies, particularly when dealing with short-term expiry options and when acting as a seller of put and call options.