Category: Trading Journal

Mid August Option Trading Journal — 2025

This month has been especially volatile, with two major market drops shaking things up.

Market Drops: What Caused Them?

  • Early August (around August 1): Market volatility was triggered by concerns over renewed U.S. tariffs and rate policy uncertainty. Historically, August is one of the weakest months for equities, with corrective stretches being common during this period.
  • Mid-August (around August 20): The tech-heavy Nasdaq experienced a sharp 2.2% decline over two days, driven by renewed fears about overexposure to AI. The sell-off was about weak earnings and the skepticism regarding the sustainability of tech megacaps’ valuations.Reuters

My Hedge Activity & Results

  • On August 20, 2025, in response to a cut-loss contract closure, I initiated additional trades to further reduce downside exposure.
  • Noticed the realisation of the premium increased fast during the quick drop of the underlying share. I close 3 sell call on the same day.
  • A quick summary on trades closed till the 3rd week of Aug’25:

19 trades closed till 3rd week of August’25

📝 Observations

Losses were contained – despite 2 forced cut-loss exits, overall win rate stayed strong at 84%.

Volatility management was key – sudden market drops forced earlier exits and additional hedging.

Short-duration spreads (some less than 5 days) worked well for quick profits (e.g., NVDA, PLTR).

The Summary – Closed 32 Trades

I’VE COMPLETED 32 TRADES SO FAR USING A MIX OF BASIC OPTIONS STRATEGIES

  • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
  • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market
  • Bear Call Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bearish-to-neutral market

A quick summary on trades closed from May’25 till now:

Snapshot taken on 25 July 2025
Snapshot taken on 1st Aug 2025 after closing 4 more trades during the final week of July25

Slowly scaled up the capital allocation for this strategy.

Over the past few months, I’ve been experimenting with the Bull Put Spread options strategy I learned from a paid course. To manage risk while building confidence, I started by allocating only a small percentage of my portfolio to test the strategy in real market conditions. As I became more familiar with the setup, execution, and outcomes, I gradually increased the capital used—aiming for better returns while still keeping risk in check.

OUTCOME:

So far, I’m maintaining ~90 % win rate on my closed trades so far. My focus remains on discipline, consistency and risk management.

I’m still logging each trade and refining the criteria of selecting options for trading. If the win rate stays consistent, I’ll share the full rules, filters, and exit strategy. For now, I’m still adding criteria to fine-tune the setup.

The next results will be updated in a month later to give myself more time to focus on completing my course while continuing to trade.

The Summary – Closed 17 Trades

I’ve completed 17 trades SO FAR using a mix of basic options strategies

  • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
  • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market
  • Bear Call Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bearish-to-neutral market

A quick summary on trades closed from May’25 till now:

🎯 My goal isn’t to “hold until expiry” — it’s to manage risk and secure consistent profit where possible

Please refer back to my post earlier for the reason why I closed the trades before expiry.

💰 Outcome (Made 1st Loss):

So far, I’m maintaining a 94.12 % win rate on my closed trades so far. My focus remains on discipline, consistency and risk management.

This week, I recorded my first official loss in my options journey — a bear call spread on SOXL. it is the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares ETF.
It aims to deliver 3 times the daily performance of the Semiconductor Sector Index. I placed this trade expecting SOXL to stay below my short strike, based on what I thought was a clear resistance level and overbought signals. However, I didn’t expect momentum strength in a leveraged ETF like SOXL.

Going forward, I’ll focus on more stable underlyings instead of high-volatility, leveraged ETFs like SOXL — especially those with 3x daily movement that can quickly flip a trade against us.

For now, I’m continuing to log each trade and refine my system quietly behind the scenes. As promised earlier, if this win rate continues to hold over the next few months, I’ll share a detailed breakdown of the exact rules, trade filters, and exit strategies I’m using. For now, I am still adding criteria to refine the filters.

Starting now, the results will be updated monthly to give me more time to focus on completing my course while continuing to trade.

The Summary – Closing the 15th Trades in July 2025

I’ve completed 15 trades SO FAR using a mix of basic options strategies

  • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
  • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market
  • Bear Call Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bearish-to-neutral market

A quick summary for this week as below:

Options Contract Closed / Expired so far till the first week of July’25.

🎯 My goal isn’t to “hold until expiry” — it’s to manage risk and secure consistent profit where possible

Please refer back to my post earlier for the reason why I closed the trades before expiry.

💰 Outcome (Still maintaining 100% Win rate so far):

So far, I’m maintaining a 100% win rate on my closed trades. My focus remains on discipline, consistency and risk management.

For now, I’m continuing to log each trade and refine my system quietly behind the scenes. As promised earlier, if this win rate continues to hold over the next few months, I’ll share a detailed breakdown of the exact rules, trade filters, and exit strategies I’m using to maintain it. For now, I am still adding criteria to refine the filters.

The Summary – Closing 14 Trades in May & June 2025

I’ve completed 14 trades using a mix of basic options strategies

  • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
  • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market
  • Bear Call Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bearish-to-neutral market

This week, I’m shifting the format slightly. Instead of presenting trades by expiry date or premium realized, I’m simply listing the contracts that were closed or expired in May and June’25.

Options Contract Closed / Expired in May’25 and June’25

Some of the trades I entered were initially set to expire in July, but I chose to close them early in June. Here’s why:

📌 Why I Closed Early:

  • Profit target reached: If a trade hits 60–80% of its max profit early, I prefer to close and lock it in. No point holding and risking reversal.
  • Market outlook changed: Geopolitical tensions (like the recent Iran-Iraq news) and sudden volatility made some setups less favorable, specifically on MARA (Marathon Digital Holdings). I decided to close the position early as
    I wasn’t confident in predicting MARA’s short-term direction with all the volatility driven by geopolitical news and Bitcoin price swings, I preferred to cut the trade early rather than risk unnecessary loss. Hence, I closed it immediately when realizing only 3.32% premium.
  • Capital rotation: Freeing up buying power early allows me to rotate into better opportunities or layer into new setups.

🎯 My goal isn’t to “hold until expiry” — it’s to manage risk and secure consistent profit where possible

💰 Outcome (Still maintaining 100% Win rate so far):

So far, I’m maintaining a 100% win rate on my closed trades. While it’s still early in the journey, this strong start is a result of sticking to well-defined setups, sizing trades conservatively, and taking profits early rather than holding for max gain.That said, I know the market won’t always be this forgiving — so I’m not getting overconfident. My focus remains on discipline, consistency and risk management.

📌 If this win rate continues to hold over the next few months, I’ll share a detailed breakdown of the exact rules, trade filters, and exit strategies I’m using to maintain it.

For now, I’m continuing to log each trade and refine my system quietly behind the scenes. More to come as the data builds.

The Summary of Closed Trades (#1 – #11)

Closing another 2 Options contracts before expiry:

Trade #10: NVDA– BEAR CALL SPREAD (Closed in one week instead of two after realizing >72% of the expected profit)

  • Trade Placed: June 12, 2025
  • Original Expiry: June 27, 2025
  • Number of Contact: 1
  • Leg 1 – Buy Call
    • Strike Price: $157.50
    • Premium Paid: $0.56 * 100 = $56 per contract
  • Leg 2 – Sell Call
    • Strike Price: $152.50
    • Premium Received: $1.24 * 100 = $124 per contract
  • Total Commission: $2.81
  • Net Premium Received: ($124– $56) – $2.81 = $65.19 (on expiry)

I closed it earlier by selling and buying back the BUY PUT and SELL PUT respectively

  • Closed Early: June 20, 2025
  • Leg 1 – Buy Call
    • Sell the call bought at $0.08 option price by receiving $8
  • Leg 2 – Sell Call
    • Buy back the sold call at $0.23 option price by paying $23
  • Total Commission: $2.81
  • Net Premium Paid: ($8 – $23) – $2.81 = -$17.81

Hence, instead of earning the full $36.16 on expiry, I took a small gain by paying back $22.84 to close the option contract. The net gain is $65.19 – $17.81= $47.38

Trade #11: LYFT– BEAR CALL SPREAD (Closed in one week instead of two after realizing >72% of the expected profit)

  • Trade Placed: May 29, 2025
  • Original Expiry: July 28, 2025
  • Number of Contact: 1
  • Leg 1 – Buy Call
    • Strike Price: $17
    • Premium Paid: $0.84 * 100 = $84 per contract
  • Leg 2 – Sell Call
    • Strike Price: $16
    • Premium Received: $1.28 * 100 = $128 per contract
  • Total Commission: $2.81
  • Net Premium Received: ($128– $84) – $2.81 = $41.19 (on expiry)

I closed it earlier by selling and buying back the BUY PUT and SELL PUT respectively

  • Closed Early: June 20, 2025
  • Leg 1 – Buy Call
    • Sell at $0.11 option price by receiving $11
  • Leg 2 – Sell Call
    • Buy at $0.26 option price by paying $26
  • Total Commission: $2.81
  • Net Premium Paid: ($11 – $26) – $2.81 = -$17.81

Hence, instead of earning the full $36.16 on expiry, I took a small gain by paying back $22.84 to close the option contract. The net gain is $41.19 – $17.81= $23.38

📊 Summary of Closed Trades (So Far – #1 – 11)

So far, I’ve completed 11 trades using a mix of basic options strategies. Here’s a quick summary of what I’ve tested:

✅ Strategies Used:

  • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
  • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market
  • Bear Call Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bearish-to-neutral market

💰 Outcome (100% Win rate so far):

All trades closed with small but positive profits, which is encouraging. While the gains aren’t huge, that’s completely fine.

Summary of the 9 contract closed so far (in USD): The second last column indicates the percentage of my expected target.

Referring to the Staggered Expiry Dates mentioned in my earlier post [My New Options Routine: Targeting $100/Week with Weekly Expiries]. I buy contracts at different expiry to ensure there are weekly closures to generate some small income.

The table above shows the expected premium received (blue bar) on Staggered Expiry Dates vs the actual premium received (green bar). If the green bar shows lower return than the blue bar, it means one or more contracts for that expected expiry date had been closed earlier. If the contract is expired with profits, both the bars will show same profit return.

Note: Future expiry date shown in the chart means the contract has been closed as of now before its expiry.

The Summary of Closed Trades (#1 – #9)

Before diving into the full summary, let’s have the quick update on Trade #8 & #9.

Trade #8: MARA– BULL PUT SPREAD (Expired with some loss of profit due to a mistake made)

  • Strategy: Bull Put Spread
  • Trade Placed: May 15, 2025
  • Original Expiry: June 13, 2025
  • Number of Contact: 1
  • Leg 1 – Buy Put
    • Strike Price: $0.12
    • Premium Paid: $11 per contract
  • Leg 2 – Sell Put
    • Strike Price: $0.35
    • Premium Received: $13 per contract
  • Total Commission: $2.84
  • Net Premium Received: ($35 – $12) – $2.84 = $20.16 (on expiry)

    I accidentally closed one the buy leg by buying back, I then resold one leg to re-establish back the bull-put spread strategy and waited till expiry. The original expected premium has been reduced to $14.74 instead of the original $20.16

    Trade #9: LYFT– BEAR CALL SPREAD (Expired with full profit)

    • Strategy: Bear Put Spread
    • Trade Placed: May 29, 2025
    • Original Expiry: June 13, 2025
    • Number of Contact: 1
    • Leg 1 – Buy Call
      • Strike Price: $16.50
      • Premium Paid: $11 per contract
    • Leg 2 – Sell Call
      • Strike Price: $17.50
      • Premium Received: $27 per contract
    • Total Commission: $2.84
    • Net Premium Received: ($27– $11) – $2.84 = $13.19 (on expiry)

    📊 Summary of Closed Trades (So Far – #1 – 9)

    So far, I’ve completed 9 trades using a mix of basic options strategies. Here’s a quick summary of what I’ve tested:

    ✅ Strategies Used:

    • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
    • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market
    • Bear Call Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bearish-to-neutral market

    💰 Outcome (100% Win rate so far):

    All trades closed with small but positive profits, which is encouraging. While the gains aren’t huge, that’s completely fine.

    Summary of the 9 contract closed so far (in USD): The second last column indicates the percentage of my expected target.

    Referring to the Staggered Expiry Dates mentioned in my earlier post [My New Options Routine: Targeting $100/Week with Weekly Expiries]. I buy contracts at different expiry to ensure there are weekly closures to generate some small income.

    The table above shows the expected premium received (blue bar) on Staggered Expiry Dates vs the actual premium received (green bar). If the green bar shows lower return than the blue bar, it means one or more contracts for that expected expiry date had been closed earlier. If the contract is expired with profits, both the bars will show same profit return.

    Note: one expiry date can have more than one contract.

    📈 My New Options Routine: Targeting $100/Week with Weekly Expiries

    After some time exploring the world of options trading, I’ve decided to implement a structured routine that helps me trade consistently and improve gradually — without overtrading or getting emotional. My current goal is simple:

    🎯 Close $100 in profit per week by buying options with staggered expiry dates — ensuring at least one contract expires each week.

    I’ll be updating this blog every weekend with my trade summary and reflections — wins, losses, and lessons included.

      Rules and Commitments for myself:

      Staggered Expiry Dates
      Ensures I am not overexposed to one expiration week. It spreads out risk and keeps a consistent flow of activity.

      Weekly Closing Goal
      Targeting $100 per week is realistic for small accounts (e.g., $2k–$5k capital). It forces discipline and avoid overtrading.

      Routine Structure
      Having specific days for screening, buying, monitoring, and reviewing reduces emotional decision-making.

      Built-in Reflection & Adjustment
      Weekly blogging/logging for self-review, for improving.

      🛠 Tools I’m Using

      TypeTool NameUsage Description
      Charting & AnalysisChartNexusFor technical analysis, drawing setups
      Broker PlatformMoomoo App
      *Tiger Trade (for bot trading only)      		For placing trades, reviewing option chains, and managing open positions
      Trade LoggingGoogle SheetsTo log each trade’s entry/exit, profit/loss, notes, and track weekly performance (on Options only)
      Reflection & SharingThis Blog (running on WordPress)To document weekly results, track progress, reflect strategy used
      Back testing Strategy Moomoo Desktop App, Own Built Python scriptsTo backtest simple strategies
      Performance GraphingGoogle Sheets, Tableau Public (Free Version – https://public.tableau.com)For documenting backtest result
      Performance CreationCanva – https://www.canva.com
      Freepik – https://www.freepik.com/      		For image creation to use in blogs

        Final Thoughts

        This routine is my attempt to turn trading into a weekly ‘business‘, not a random gamble. It’s a mix of structure, learning, and personal growth — and I’ll share everything I learn, whether it’s a win or a tough loss.

        If you’re building a routine of your own, feel free to follow along or share your approach. Let’s grow together.

        Until next weekend —
        Stay consistent. Stay curious. Trade small.

        The Summary of Closed Trades (#1 – #7)

        Before diving into the full summary, let’s have the quick update on Trade #7.

        Trade #7: LRCX – BULL PUT SPREAD (Closed early in 5 days instead of 21 days after realizing more than 68% of the expected Profit)

        • Strategy: Bull Put Spread
        • Trade Placed: June 6, 2025
        • Original Expiry: July 3, 2025
        • Number of Contact: 1
        • Leg 1 – Buy Put
          • Strike Price: $74
          • Premium Paid: $35 per contract
        • Leg 2 – Sell Put
          • Strike Price: $79
          • Premium Received: $89 per contract
        • Total Commission: $3.25
        • Net Premium Received: ($89 – $35) – $2.84 = $51.16 (on expiry)

        I closed it earlier by selling and buying back the BUY PUT and SELL PUT respectively

        • Closed Early: June 11, 2025
        • Leg 1 – Buy Put
          • Sell at $0.16 option price by receiving $16
        • Leg 2 – Sell Put
          • Buy at $0.35 option price by paying $35
        • Total Commission: $2.84
        • Net Premium Paid: ($16 – $35) – $2.85 = -$21.84

        Hence, instead of earning the full $36.16 on expiry, I took a small gain by paying back $22.84 to close the option contract. The net gain is $51.16 – $21.84= $29.32

        📊 Summary of Closed Trades (So Far – #1 – 7)

        So far, I’ve completed 7 trades using a mix of basic options strategies. Here’s a quick summary of what I’ve tested:

        ✅ Strategies Used:

        • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
        • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market

        💰 Outcome:

        All trades closed with small but positive profits, which is encouraging. While the gains aren’t huge, that’s completely fine — I treat this as a learning and experimentation phase, not a race to big profits.

        The goal is to understand how different strategies behave, how the market responds, and how to manage risk — before scaling up.

        Summary of the 7 contract closed so far (in USD):
        The second last column indicates the percentage of my expected target. (Note: If I am very confident that the price will stay below my strike till expiry, i will wait till its expiry. And for some, I will just close as long as some profit is made)

        I

        The Summary of Closed Trades (#1 – #6)

        Before diving into the full summary, let’s have the quick update on Trade #5 and #6.

        Trade #5: SOFI – BULL PUT SPREAD (Closed Early for Small Profit)

        • Strategy: Bull Put Spread
        • Trade Placed: May 20, 2025
        • Original Expiry: June 20, 2025
        • Number of Contact: 2
        • Leg 1 – Buy Put
          • Strike Price: $10
          • Premium Paid: $8 per contract
        • Leg 2 – Sell Put
          • Strike Price: $11.5
          • Premium Received: $20 per contract
        • Total Commission: $3.25
        • Net Premium Received: ($20 – $8) * 2 – $3.25 = $20.75 (on expiry)

        I closed it earlier by selling and buying back the BUY PUT and SELL PUT respectively

        • Closed Early: June 6, 2025
        • Leg 1 – Buy Put
          • Sell at $0.04 option price by receiving $4
        • Leg 2 – Sell Put
          • Buy at $0.25 option price by paying $5
        • Total Commission: $2.85
        • Net Premium Paid: ($4 – $5) x 2 – $2.85 = -$4.85

        Hence, instead of earning the full $36.16 on expiry, I took a small gain by paying back $22.84 to close the option contract. The net gain is $20.75 – $4.85 = $15.90

        Trade #6: MARA– Bull Put Spread (Expired with Full Profit)

        • Strategy: Bull Put Spread
        • Stock Price (at entry): ~$16.70
        • Trade Date: May 12, 2025
        • Expiry Date: June 6, 2025
        • Leg 1 – Sell Put
          • Strike Price: $13.50
          • Premium Received: $48.00
        • Leg 2 – Buy Put
          • Strike Price: $14.50
          • Premium Paid: $29.00
        • Net Premium Collected: $19.00
        • Total Commission: $2.84
        • Net Profit After Commission: $16.16

        The stock stayed above the strike price through expiry, and I kept the full premium.

        📊 Summary of Closed Trades (So Far – #1 – 6)

        So far, I’ve completed 6 trades using a mix of basic options strategies. Here’s a quick summary of what I’ve tested:

        ✅ Strategies Used:

        • Sell Put – to collect premium with the intention to buy at a lower price
        • Bull Put Spread – a more defined-risk strategy for bullish-to-neutral market

        💰 Outcome:

        All trades closed with small but positive profits, which is encouraging. While the gains aren’t huge, that’s completely fine — I treat this as a learning and experimentation phase, not a race to big profits.

        The goal is to understand how different strategies behave, how the market responds, and how to manage risk — before scaling up.

        Summary of the 6 contract closed so far (in USD):
        The second last column indicates the percentage of my expected target. (Note: If I am very confident that the price will stay below my strike till expiry, i will wait till its expiry. And for some, I will just close as long as some profit is made)