Monthly Returns - August 2009

The month of August was unfortunately the first negative month for the CCIP. The portfolio was dragged down by the horrible performance of UNG which reduced the overall portfolio performance of the CCIP by about 3%. Premiums have continued to decline as the VIX has stayed in a relatively low range which has been helpful to those who wish to cover downside risk by purchasing protective puts, but not for those looking to sell premium. Every once in a while an investment choice does not do what you expect, and this possibility has to always be considered when selecting asset allocation. As I noted in my post on asset allocation within a covered call portfolio it is extremely important not to weight any one of your positions too heavily. Unfortunately, UNG represented about 10% of my overall portfolio, and so its 30% decline substantially impacted overall portfolio performance. The fact that the overall portfolio only dropped slightly was a testament, however, to the successful choices in other parts of the portfolio.

Unfortunately, as well as the under-performance by the CCIP in August, the portfolio has also lost much of the ground it had over the benchmark, S&P 500. Although it is still ahead of the market, its "lead" has been reduced. This brings up an important point regarding a covered call portfolio, as well as the general strategy of the CCIP. It is my intention, not to necessarily consistently beat the market, but instead to provide a constant return of at least 10%. However, this is not to say that I do not want to maximize my possible returns. This is why I have adopted additional strategies to enhance my returns. These include the new ex-dividend date strategy which thus far has been executed 3 times, one of these times being called away successfully at the ex-div date. The second strategy involves purchasing an OTM SPY call in order to participate in additional upside if the market increases substantially over a month.

The portfolio continues to beat the market since its inception (by about 7.5%). The chart below presents the monthly performance of the CCIP for August, as well as the performance of the portfolio since inception.

Portfolio Results

The 2009 Since Inception results are as follows:

1. Since Inception Results

CCIP Absolute Return (March 7 through August 31, 2009) = 54.06%

Benchmark S&P 500 (SPY) Absolute Return (March 7 through August 31, 2009) = 46.54%

The CCIP has outperformed the S&P 500 benchmark by a total of 7.54%

September 2009 Next Steps

The month of September is going to be a real test for the rally's strength. The summer vacation is over, and reality is beginning to set in. Third quarter earnings will start this month, and will ultimately determine the direction of the market. Companies will now have to show that after substantially cutting costs they can start to increase sales.

The CCIP has made a bit of a change of direction as well over the last two months, as I have added additional strategies such as cash-secured puts, OTM calls, and the ex-dividend date strategy. Additionally, I have adopted a new type of allocation strategy which focuses on reducing risk, and centering strategy around specific annualized return goals.

Unfortunately, I will be going on vacation the week after expiration and will not have access to the internet. This obviously makes option roll-over a bit difficult. As a result I will most likely be closing ITM positions on the Thursday prior to expiration, and then opening new positions on expiration Friday. This may result in losing out on about 0.25% of gains, but it is better than missing a week of market action

The strategy for establishing covered calls positions after September expiration will depend on what positions close ITM at expiration. I will establish new positions based upon my new annualized return asset allocation strategy.

As always, please post any thoughts or questions you have regarding the CCIP and the posts on the blog.