Saturday, February 14, 2026

February 13th, 2026 Options Expiration Results

The Covered Calls Advisor Portfolio had five Covered Calls positions with February 13th, 2026 options expiration dates.  Three positions (D.R. Horton Inc., Lowe's Companies Inc., and NVIDIA Corporation), closed in-the-money so their Calls expired and the shares were called away (i.e. sold) at their respective strike prices.  Two positions in KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF and Microsoft Corporation closed out-of-the-money so their Call options expired and the shares remain in the Covered Calls Advisor Portfolio.  A summary of results for each of these positions (in alphabetical order) is as follows:

1. D.R. Horton Inc. (AMZN) -- +2.3% absolute return (equivalent to +46.1% annualized return-on-investment) for the 18 days of this investment.  This Covered Calls position was assigned at the $145.00 strike price since the stock closed in-the-money at $167.78 per share.  The original blog post detailing this Covered Calls position is here

2. KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB) -- This Covered Calls position closed yesterday at $32.79 which was below its $34.50 strike price, so the five Call options expired and 500 KWEB shares now remain in the Covered Calls Advisor Portfolio.  The original blog post detailing this position is here.  Early in this upcoming week I will decide to either continue this Covered Calls position by selling Call options against the 500 KWEB shares currently held or close out the position by selling these shares. 

3. Lowe's Companies Inc. (LOW) -- +   1.2% absolute return (equivalent to +16.3% annualized return-on-investment) for the 28 days of this investment.  This Covered Call position was assigned at the $265.00 strike price since the stock closed in-the-money at $287.39 per share.  The most recent blog post detailing this Covered Call position is here.    

4. Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) -- This Covered Call position closed yesterday at $401.32 which was well below its $425.00 strike price, so the one Call option expired and 100 Microsoft shares now remain in the Covered Calls Advisor Portfolio.  The original blog post detailing this position is here.  Early in this upcoming week I will decide to either continue this Covered Call position by selling a Call option against the 100 Microsoft shares currently held or close out the position by selling these shares. 

5. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) -- +2.3% absolute return (equivalent to +57.1% annualized return-on-investment) for the 15 days of this investment.  This Covered Call position was assigned at the $182.50 strike price since the stock closed slightly in-the-money at $182.81 per share.  The most recent blog post detailing this Covered Call position is here.    

I welcome your feedback or questions at my email address shown below on anything related to the Covered Calls investing strategy.

Jeff Partlow
The Covered Calls Advisor
partlow@cox.net

Friday, February 13, 2026

Covered Call Position Established in Amazon.com Inc.

Early in this morning's trading session, my buy/write net debit limit order was executed at a price of $188.90 when 100 shares of Amazon.com Inc. (ticker symbol AMZN) stock was purchased at $197.77 and 1 February 27th, 2026 $192.50 Call option was sold at $8.87 per share.  The potential time value profit if the stock is in-the-money and therefore closed out by assignment on the options expiration date is $3.60 per share [$8.87 Call option premium - ($197.77 stock purchase price - $192.50 strike price)].  The probability that this Amazon Call option will be above the $192.50 strike price on the 2/27/2026 options expiration date when this Covered Call position was established was 64.9%.

The average target price of the analysts covering Amazon.com stock is $285.95 (+44.6% above today's stock purchase price).  Amazon.com also passed all criteria in my customized "Quality+Growth" stock screener as detailed in the chart below:



As detailed below, a potential return-on-investment result is +1.9% absolute return-on-investment (equivalent to +49.6% annualized return-on-investment for the next 14 days) if Amazon's share price is in-the-money (i.e. above the $192.50 strike price) and therefore assigned on its February 27th, 2026 options expiration date.  


Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) -- New Covered Call Position
The net debit buy/write limit order was executed as follows:
2/13/2026 Bought 100 shares of Amazon.com stock @ $197.77 per share.  
2/13/2026 Sold 1 AMZN February 27th, 2026 $192.50 Call option @ $8.87 per share.
Note: this was a simultaneous Buy/Write transaction and the Implied Volatility of the Call was 36.6 when this position was established which, as preferred, is well above the current VIX of 20.6.  

A possible overall performance result (including commissions) if this position is assigned on its 2/27/2026 options expiration date is as follows:
Covered Call Net Investment: $18,890.67
= ($197.77 - $8.87) * 100 shares + $.67 commission

Net Profit Components:
(a) Option Income: +$886.33
= ($8.87 * 100 shares) - $.67 commission
(b) Dividend Income: +$0.00
(c) Capital Appreciation (If Amazon.com stock is above the $192.50 strike price at the February 27th, 2026 options expiration date): -$527.00
= ($192.50 strike price - $197.77 stock purchase price) * 100 shares

Total Net Profit Potential (If assigned at the $192.50 strike price on the Feb. 27th, 2026 options expiration date): +$359.33
= (+$886.33 options income + $0.00 dividend income - $527.00 capital appreciation)

Potential Absolute Return-on-Investment: +1.9%
= +$359.33/$18,890.67
Potential Equivalent Annualized-Return-on-Investment: +49.6%
= (+$359.33/$18,890.67) * (365/14 days)

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Established Covered Calls in Las Vegas Sands Corporation

This morning a short-term Covered Calls position was established in Las Vegas Sands Corporation (ticker LVS). Three hundred shares were purchased at $56.50 and three February 20th, 2026 monthly Call options were sold at the $55.00 strike price at $2.36 per share--a buy/write net debit transaction of $54.14 per share which provides a $.86 per share time value profit potential.  

Las Vegas Sands was one of only 37 companies that passed all criteria in my "Key Metrics for Comparing Companies" stock screener, which places it in the top 1.4% of the 2,643 major U.S. companies considered in this stock screener.  The average target price of the 18 analysts following Las Vegas Sands Corp. is $69.36 which is +22.7% above today's stock purchase price.  The stock screener criteria and the actual numbers for LVS are shown in the filter breakdown in the table below:

As detailed below, a potential return-on-investment result is +1.6% absolute return-on-investment (equivalent to +58.5% annualized return-on-investment for the next 10 days) if the Las Vegas Sands Corporation share price is in-the-money (i.e. above the $55.00 strike price) and therefore assigned on its February 20th, 2026 options expiration date.

 
Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS) -- New Covered Calls Position 

The Buy/Write transaction was as follows:
2/10/2026 Bought 300 shares of Las Vegas Sands Corporation @ $56.50 per share.  
2/10/2026 Sold 3 LVS February 20th, 2026 $55.00 Call options @ $2.36 per share.  The Implied Volatility of these Call options was 42.6 and the probability that the Calls will expire in-the-money on the options expiration date was 63.0% when this transaction was executed today. 

A possible overall performance result (including commissions) for this Las Vegas Sands Corporation Covered Calls position is as follows:
Covered Calls Net Investment: $15,974.01
= ($56.50 - $2.36) * 300 shares + $2.01 commission

Net Profit:
(a) Options Income: +$705.99
= ($2.36 * 300 shares) - $2.01 commission
(b) Dividend Income: +$0.00
(c) Capital Appreciation (If 300 Las Vegas Sands Corporation shares assigned at $55.00 strike price at expiration): -$450.00
+($55.00 - $56.50) * 300 shares

Total Net Profit Potential (If 300 Las Vegas Sands shares assigned at $55.00 strike price at expiration): +$255.99
= (+$705.99 options income +$0.00 dividend income -$450.00 capital appreciation)

Potential Absolute Return-on-Investment: +1.6%
= +$255.99/$15,974.01
Potential Annualized Return-on-Investment: +58.5%
= (+$255.99/$15,974.01) * (365/10 days)

Monday, February 9, 2026

Covered Call Position Established in RTX Corporation

Today a Covered Call position was established in RTX Corporation (ticker symbol RTX). In early 2020, Raytheon merged with United Technologies (after they spun-out their Carrier and Otis Elevators divisions) making the new Raytheon a very strong company with approximately equal parts defense and commercial business revenues.  Three years ago, they changed their corporate name to RTX Corporation. 

RTX Corporation is an aerospace and defense company, which provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military, and government customers worldwide. The Company operates through three segments: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Collins Aerospace segment provides technologically advanced aerospace and defense products and aftermarket service solutions for civil and military aircraft manufacturers, commercial airlines, and regional, business and general aviation, as well as for defense and commercial space operations. The Pratt & Whitney segment supplies aircraft engines for commercial, military, business jet, and general aviation customers. The Raytheon segment provides defensive and offensive threat detection, tracking and mitigation capabilities for the United States and foreign government and commercial customers by designing, developing, and providing advanced capabilities in integrated air and missile defense, smart weapons, and missiles.

My net debit buy/write limit order was executed when 100 shares were purchased at $198.01 and 1 February 27th, 2026 weekly Call option was sold at $6.37 per share at the $195.00 strike price.  The time value (aka extrinsic value) in the Call option was $3.36 per share [$6.37 Call option premium - ($198.01 stock price - $195.00 strike price)] when this transaction executed.  There is also an upcoming ex-dividend on Feb. 20th at $.68 per share (7.9% above last year's dividend rate for the same quarter).  Two potential return-on-investment results for this position are detailed below and include the possibility of early exercise since the ex-dividend is prior to the February 27th, 2026 options expiration date.  Given my current Overall Market Meter outlook of Neutral, a slightly in-the-money Covered Call position was established and the probability that the Call will remain in-the-money on the options expiration date was 58.8% when this transaction occurred.  Important to the Covered Calls Advisor, RTX reported their Q2 2025 earnings report two weeks ago, so there is no intervening earnings report prior to the February 27th options expiration date.  

As detailed below, two potential return-on-investment results are: 

  •  +1.7% absolute return (equivalent to +58.1% annualized return-on-investment for the next 11 days) if the stock is assigned early (on the last business day prior to the February 20th ex-dividend date); OR 
  • +2.1% absolute return (equivalent to +42.7% annualized return-on-investment over the next 18 days) if the stock is assigned on the February 27th options expiration date.

RTX Corporation (RTX) -- New Covered Call Position
The buy/write transaction was:
2/9/2026 Bought 100 RTX shares @ $198.01
2/9/2026 Sold 1 RTX 2/27/2026 $195.00 Call option @ $6.37 per share
2/20/2026 Upcoming quarterly ex-dividend of $.68 per share

Two possible overall performance results (including commissions) for this RTX Corp. Covered Call position are as follows:
RTX Covered Call Cost Basis: $19,164.67
= ($198.01 - $6.37) * 100 shares + $.67 commission

Net Profit Components:
(a) Options Income: +$636.33
= ($6.37 * 100 shares) - $.67 option income
(b) Dividend Income (If option exercised early on Feb. 19th, 2026, the last trading day prior to the February 20th ex-div date): +$0.00; or
(b) Dividend Income (If RTX stock assigned on the February 27th, 2026 options expiration date): +$68.00
= ($.68 dividend per share x 100 shares)
(c) Capital Appreciation (If RTX Call option assigned early on Feb. 19th): -$301.00
+($195.00 strike price - $198.01 stock purchase price) * 100 shares; or
(c) Capital Appreciation (If shares assigned at $195.00 strike price at options expiration): -$301.00
+($195.00 - $198.01) * 100 shares

1. Total Net Profit [If option exercised on Feb. 19th (last business day prior to the Feb. 20th ex-dividend date)]: +$335.33
= (+$636.33 options income + $0.00 dividend income - $301.00 capital appreciation); or
2. Total Net Profit (If RTX shares assigned at $195.00 strike price at the Feb. 27th, 2026 options expiration date): +$403.33
= (+$636.33 + $68.00 - $301.00)

1. Absolute Return (If option exercised early): +1.7%
= +$335.33/$19,164.67
Annualized Return-on-Investment (If option exercised early): +58.1%
= (+$335.33/$19,164.67) * (365/11 days); or
2. Absolute Return (If RTX shares assigned at the $195.00 strike price at the Feb. 27th, 2026 options expiration date): +2.1%
= +$403.33/$19,164.67
Annualized Return-on-Investment (If RTX shares assigned at the $195.00 at the 2/27/2026 options expiration date): +42.7%
= (+$403.33/$19,164.67) x (365/18 days)

These return-on-investment results will be achieved as long as the stock is above the $195.00 strike price on the options expiration date.  If the stock declines below the strike price, the breakeven price of $190.96 ($198.01 stock purchase price - $6.37 option income - $.68 dividend income) provides 3.6% downside protection below today's stock purchase price.

At least eight of the nine metrics used in the Covered Calls Advisor's Dividend Capture Strategy spreadsheet must be 'YES' prior to establishing a position.  As shown below with this RTX Corporation position, all nine criteria were met.