I went to bed and sleep came quickly.
The next morning, I woke up early. It was the 3rd of August.
I went through my usual routine: morning training and a run. By 8:30 a.m., I was already seated in front of my PC in the office, observing the pre-market trading on NASDAQ.
NetEase was set to announce its earnings in five minutes....
The announcement came, and it was just as I expected.
The same 200% increase in revenue and a modest profit of $3 million.
The fact that they were profitable was enough to send the stock flying.
Before the market even opened at 9:00 a.m., the stock was already trading 40% higher, and it only kept on climbing up and up and up.
By the end of the day, the stock had ended up 109% higher than the day before.
I watched the screen with a smile, but I knew better than to get caught up in the initial frenzy.
The massive volume and price increase were exciting, but I remembered how these things played out. The excitement would die down over the next few days, and the same people buying the calls today would be selling them to me tomorrow as the stock dipped.
Not to mention that I have already accumulated quite a bit of calls over the last few weeks.
...
I ended up making one trade at the end of the day, selling 10,000 shares of the stock on top of the 14,000 that I had already sold over the last few weeks.
...
On the morning of the 4th of August, as I was doing a set of push-ups, I got a call.
I looked at the phone.
It was my broker.
I grabbed the phone and answered, still slightly out of breath. "Hello?"
"Good morning, sir," the broker's voice was polished and formal. "This is Robert Thompson from Ameritrade. First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations on your recent trading success. Your account size has reached a significant threshold, and we are pleased to inform you that you now qualify for our VIP program."
'Right... they wanted to suck me dry...' I thought.
"What does this VIP treatment include?"
"As part of our VIP program, we are prepared to offer you leverage of up to four times your current capital, provided you agree to an exclusive arrangement with our brokerage. Additionally, you will benefit from reduced trading fees, allowing you to maximize your profits."
This might be tempting for some, but I knew better. I didn't need it, especially with my current focus on options, which I couldn't leverage anyway.
Once I had millions of dollars, it would be easy for me to find similar deals somewhere else.
Another reason I could not commit to a single brokerage was that it would completely derail my plans.
"I appreciate the offer, Robert," I said firmly, "but I must decline. I would prefer to stay flexible."
There was a brief silence before he spoke again. "I understand... Allow me to suggest an alternative option. We have a team of seasoned professional brokers who can offer you personalized assistance. They might be able to help you improve your strategies."
"Thank you, but I believe I am well-equipped to manage my trades on my own. I do not require the assistance of professional brokers."
"Very well, sir," he replied, his tone respectful. "Should you ever reconsider or require any form of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out."
"I appreciate that, Robert. Have a good day." I said and I hung up.
After the call, I laced up my running shoes and headed out the door.
I was aiming for an eight-mile run around the town.
My stamina had improved significantly over the past few months.
The regular exercise and a healthier lifestyle had paid off. My skin was tanned from the hours spent running in the sun, and I had shed the extra fat, revealing a toned six-pack.
I might even consider running a half-marathon soon.
After taking a shower, I walked to the office and opened my Ameritrade account.
[AMERITRADE]
------------
[Total Balance: $288,559.78]
[Available Balance: $19,100.00]
------------
[Market Value of Holdings: $293,067.66]
[Margin: $23,607.88]
[Buying Power: $38,200.00]
------------
Portfolio:
[NetEase Inc ($NTES)] [$2.86] {[ 39 281 shares ]}
------------
Recent Transactions:
[Shares Sell: NTES, Amount: 10000, Average Price: 2.51$, -0.60$/share Margin]
[Options Buy: NTES Call Option ($16), Cost $0.14, Value: $0.32, Quantity: 35,700, Volume: 33,200]
[Shares Sell: NTES, Amount: 14000, Average Price: 1.31$, -0.60$/share Margin]
[Options Buy: NTES Call Option ($10), Cost $0.16, Value: $1.48, Quantity: 74,000, Volume: 71,100]
[Options Buy: NTES Call Option ($12), Cost $0.1, Value: $0.98, Quantity: 61,000, Volume: 61,000]
------------
I leaned back in my chair, taking a deep breath.
I smiled.
Over the last few weeks, I have bought a significant amount of call options at $10, $12, and $16 strikes and almost all of those are filled now.
Yesterday's earnings announcement caused the value of those calls to skyrocket, pushing my total balance from under $100,000 to almost $300,000.
The initial excitement would wane over the next few days, causing the calls to drop slightly.
My strategy was to sell off all my remaining shares and do one last wave of option accumulation.
But for now, I needed to make the very unfortunate decision of withdrawing the $19,100 of available balance.
I would need it for what I was planning to do in Miami.
...
On Thursday, August 5, before starting to pack for the trip to Miami, I checked my bank account.
[Bank Of America]
------------
[Account Owner: Jack Somnus]
[Account Balance: $19,748.09]
------------
'This should be more than enough. After all, I will be the one in control of the price. The other side won't have a choice but to agree to my terms.' I thought.
Everything was falling perfectly into place...
As I packed my bags, Sydney darted between rooms, gathering her belongings.
When my parents got back from work, we loaded our luggage into the trunk of my dad's silver Mercedes-Benz C 180.
I insisted that we drive his car because it was classy and I wanted to borrow it for tomorrow.
My parents took the front seats, with my dad behind the wheel and Sydney and I sat in the back.
Sydney looked over to the front seats. "Mom. Do you think we'll get to see dolphins in Miami?"
"I just want to spend some time on the beach," Mom said from the passenger seat; her voice sounded relaxed.
'Well... the beaches are lovely, but that's not why I'm going there,' I thought.
It was time to execute.
Time to set my strategy in motion.