Turning Red to Green: How Options and Smart Management Beat the Market Drag

Managing a stock portfolio requires a keen understanding of market trends, strategic investments, and risk mitigation. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the latest positions, detailing holdings, profits and losses (PL), premiums collected, and open options.

Portfolio Overview

The portfolio spans diverse industries, from technology to healthcare, with strategic options trading boosting overall profitability. Here's how each holding has performed:

Alphabet Inc. (GOOG)

• Market Price: $175.88 | Average Price: $190.59

• Market Value: $17,588 | Price Paid: $19,059

• PL: -$1,471 | Premiums Collected: $897.50

• Open Options if Executed: $20,500 | Final PL: $2,338.50

Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI)

• Market Price: $41.56 | Average Price: $58.53

• Market Value: $8,312 | Price Paid: $11,706

• PL: -$3,394 | Premiums Collected: $2,398

• Open Options if Executed: $11,600 | Final PL: $2,292

Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD)

• Market Price: $72.60 | Average Price: $58.00

• Market Value: $14,520 | Price Paid: $11,600

• PL: $2,920 | Premiums Collected: $1,683

• Open Options if Executed: $11,000 | Final PL: $1,083

Direxion TSLA Bull 2X (TSLL)

• Market Price: $12.65 | Average Price: $9.91

• Market Value: $6,325 | Price Paid: $4,955

• PL: $1,370 | Premiums Collected: $503

• Open Options if Executed: $4,850 | Final PL: $398

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH)

• Market Price: $313.53 | Average Price: $302.50

• Market Value: $31,353 | Price Paid: $30,250

• PL: $1,103 | Premiums Collected: $3,073

• Open Options if Executed: $31,000 | Final PL: $3,823

Reddit Inc. (RDDT)

• Market Price: $118.18 | Average Price: $182.43

• Market Value: $36,753.98 | Price Paid: $56,735.73

• PL: -$19,981.75 | Premiums Collected: $7,149

• Open Options if Executed: $52,500 | Final PL: $2,913.27

Overall Performance

• Total Market Value: $114,851.98

• Total Price Paid: $134,305.73

• Net PL: -$19,453.75

• Total Premiums Collected: $15,703.50

• Total Open Options if Executed: $131,450

• Final Portfolio PL (After Options): $12,847.77

Weekly Options Income Recap (June 2–6, 2025): Pays Off

 This week’s trading results highlight the effectiveness of disciplined execution and active management in options trading. With a mix of premium-rich plays and tightly managed closes, you locked in solid profits across multiple tickers.

✅ Total Premium Collected: $1,794.00

Symbol	Strategy	Net Premium
TSLL	Covered Calls	$283.64
UNH	Covered Calls	$478.91
SMCI	Cash-Secured Put	$93.91
MSTX	Cash-Secured Put	$95.91
NVDA	Covered Calls (roll)	$590.82
HOOD	Covered Calls	$44.91
RDDT	Covered Calls	$164.95
TSLQ	Covered Calls	$41.95

Highlights:

• 🎯 NVDA delivered the largest gain via strategic rolling between contracts.

• 💪 UNH and TSLL contributed solid returns from covered calls.

• 🛡️ Put-selling on SMCI and MSTX added low-risk premium.

Monitoring My Short Options Positions Expiring This Week (May 23, 2025)

As we head into the final trading days of this week, I’m focusing closely on my short options positions set to expire on May 23, 2025 . Since I sold all of these contracts, my goal is for them to expire out-of-the-money (OTM) so I can keep the full premium collected — or, at the very least, buy them back at a lower price for a net profit.

Let’s walk through each position:

---

💼 1. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) - Call Option

• Date Opened: May 16, 2025
• Strike Price: $295
• Expiration Date: May 23, 2025
• Contracts: 1
• Entry Credit: $11.75
• Status: Open

I sold this UNH call just a few days ago with a relatively high strike price. UnitedHealth is a large-cap, blue-chip stock with historically low volatility, which makes it a solid candidate for premium selling strategies like this one. As long as UNH stays below $295 by Friday, this call should expire worthless — and I’ll keep the entire $11.75 credit per share.

Fingers crossed!

---

💉 2. Defiance Daily Target 2X Long MSTR ETF (MSTX)

- Put Option

• Date Opened: May 15, 2025
• Strike Price: $40
• Expiration Date: May 23, 2025
• Contracts: 1
• Entry Credit: $2.00
• Status: Open

This is a put I sold earlier in the week, betting that MSTX won’t drop below $40 before expiration. While  stocks can be unpredictable, the time frame here is short, and the strike is well below the current market price — giving me a decent cushion.

If the stock remains above $40, I’ll collect the $2.00 premium. But if it starts trending downward, I may consider closing early to limit risk.

---

🧬 3. Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL)

- Put Option (3 Contracts)

• Date Opened: May 15, 2025
• Strike Price: $13
• Expiration Date: May 23, 2025
• Contracts: 3
• Entry Credit: $0.43 per contract
• Status: Open

I sold three OTM puts on TSLL, collecting just under $0.43 per contract. With such a small credit, this was a low-reward, calculated-risk trade. The idea is simple: if TSLL stays above $13 by Friday, all three contracts will expire worthless, and I’ll pocket the premium.

However, since TSLL is a volatile name, I’m keeping a close eye on any unexpected news or price swings that could threaten this position.

---

🚀 4. 

Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL) - Call Option (3 Contracts)

• Date Opened: May 9, 2025
• Strike Price: $10
• Expiration Date: May 23, 2025
• Contracts: 3
• Entry Credit: $2.32 per contract
• Status: Open

This was a more aggressive premium-selling play. I sold three call contracts two weeks ago, anticipating that TSLL wouldn’t rise above $10 before expiration.

If TSLL stays under $10, I’ll keep the $2.32 per contract. If it spikes above, I might have to buy the calls back at a loss — or get assigned shares at $10 (which I’d only do if I were comfortable owning the stock at that price).

---

 Final Thoughts

With all four positions expiring this week, my focus is on risk management and timely exits where necessary. Selling options can be a powerful income-generating strategy, but it comes with directional risk — especially when dealing with more volatile names like TSLL.

Here’s what I’ll be monitoring over the next few days:

• Stock movement , particularly in TSLL
• Implied volatility
• News flow around these companies
• Time decay acceleration as expiration nears

I’ll follow up after expiration to show how each trade performed and what adjustments I made (if any). Stay tuned for the results!

A Breakdown of Three Strategic Options Trades

Options trading isn’t just about buying and selling contracts—it's about timing, strategy, and understanding market momentum. In my latest trades, I navigated a mix of puts and calls across UNH and RDDT, leading to some solid profits and key insights into my trading approach.

Trade 1: Selling a Put on UNH

• Symbol: UNH

• Option Type: Put (Sold)

• Strike Price: 255

• Expiration: 5/16/2025

• Contracts: 1

• Entry Price: $684

• Exit Price: $3

• Profit: $681

Analysis

Selling a UNH 255 put turned out to be a great move. As the stock price remained above the strike, the contract lost value fast, letting me pocket a solid $681 profit. This trade reinforces the power of selling cash-secured puts when volatility presents a premium opportunity.

Trade 2: Buying a Call on UNH

• Symbol: UNH

• Option Type: Call (Bought)

• Strike Price: 295

• Expiration: 5/23/2025

• Contracts: 1

• Entry Price: $1175

• Exit Price: TBD

• Profit: Open Position

Outlook

This call is still active, meaning there's a window to adjust based on market action. If UNH trends bullish, this contract has potential to gain value rapidly, offering an opportunity to secure profits or roll the position. Keeping an eye on support levels will be crucial before expiration.

Trade 3: Buying a Call on RDDT

• Symbol: RDDT

• Option Type: Call (Bought)

• Strike Price: 230

• Expiration: 11/21/2025

• Contracts: 1

• Entry Price: $510

• Exit Price: $350

• Profit: $160

Lessons Learned

This RDDT call was a profitable trade, but the exit price was lower than ideal. Managing greeks, particularly theta decay, could improve future outcomes—adjusting entry points or using spreads might be beneficial. Still, a $160 profit means capital was effectively deployed.

Final Takeaways

These three trades showcase the balance between selling premium and buying directional calls—each strategy has its strengths depending on volatility and market trends.

• Selling puts in the right conditions can yield quick wins with minimal capital risk.

• Buying calls requires careful monitoring of price movements and time decay.

• Exit timing plays a massive role in securing maximum profitability.

Looking ahead, refining entry points and adjusting exit strategies will be key to maximizing future gains. How do you optimize your trades? Let’s keep refining the strategy together.

Would you like to turn this into a social media post or expand on any sections?