Date Entered: February 3, 2026
Status: Position Open (2 Contracts)
Trade Thesis (Why This Exists)
This is a Poor Man’s Covered Call (PMCC) structured as a diagonal spread designed to:
- Capture earnings-inflated implied volatility via the short call
- Maintain long-term bullish exposure via a deep ITM LEAPS
- Use active management to avoid assignment and gamma choke
- Generate repeatable income while preserving upside optionality
ROKU reports Q4 earnings on February 12, 2026 (after the bell). This setup intentionally sells volatility into that event while maintaining a defined-risk bullish position.
📋 Trade Summary (Actual Entries)
Long Leg (LEAPS):
- 2× Jan 15, 2027 $60 Call @ $42.85
Short Leg (Income):
- 2× March 6, 2026 $110 Call @ $2.93
Net Debit:
- $39.92 per spread
- $7,984 total capital deployed
Break-Even (at entry):
- $99.92
Stock Price at Entry:
- ~$96.18
Why the $110 Short Call Was Chosen
- The $110 strike sits outside the expected earnings move
- Premium is artificially inflated by earnings volatility
- Strike selection balances:
- Rent collection
- Gamma risk
- Roll flexibility
This is not a “set and forget” strike—it is intentionally close enough to monetize IV, but far enough to manage.
📜 The Golden Rules (Non-Negotiable)
- Never let the short call expire ITM
- If ROKU is above $110 near expiration, close or roll.
- Do not risk waking up short 200 shares.
- Monitor Extrinsic Value, Not P/L
- If extrinsic value falls below ~$0.20 near expiration, assignment risk rises sharply.
- Early assignment is rare, but avoidable.
- Ignore Individual Leg P/L
- A rising stock will show a “losing” short call.
- Always evaluate net liquidation value of the full position.
📈 Profit & Risk Framework
Important: A PMCC diagonal does not have a fixed max profit.
Profit is path-dependent and realized through management.
Outcome Scenarios at March Expiration
| Scenario | ROKU Price | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Strong Rally | $115–$125 | LEAPS appreciates strongly; short call likely rolled for credit |
| Ideal Outcome | <$110 | Short call expires worthless; keep full premium |
| Flat / Modest Up | $96–$105 | Income cycle completed; sell next call |
| Earnings Miss | <$85 | LEAPS loses value; shift to repair & income mode |
Cycle Income Potential:
- $293 per contract per cycle
- Repeatable if managed correctly
⚡ Why This Works for ROKU Right Now
1. The Earnings Volatility Edge
- Short call IV collapses faster than LEAPS IV after earnings
- This creates a volatility shield rather than exposure
2. High Rent-to-Strike Yield
- $2.93 on a $110 strike (~2.6% in 31 days)
- Elevated due to ROKU’s high beta (~1.98)
3. Technical Awareness
- Prior resistance near $115–$117 (52-week highs)
- $110 allows defensive management before that zone
🛠 Post-Earnings Management Plan (Mechanical, Not Emotional)
Earnings Date: Feb 12, 2026 (After the Bell)
Execution Rule: Wait until at least 10:00 AM ET on Feb 13 to allow IV and bid/ask spreads to normalize.
ROKU Post-Earnings Decision Matrix
|
Scenario |
ROKU Price Zone |
What’s Happening |
Required Action |
Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
A — IV Crush Win |
Below $98 |
Earnings uncertainty collapses; short call premium decays rapidly |
Buy to close March $110 at 60–70% max profit |
Lock in earnings-driven rent |
|
Sell April call at $115 or $120 |
Start next income cycle |
|||
|
B — Do Nothing Zone |
$98 – $104 |
Price stable; IV crush + theta working in your favor |
No action |
Let volatility and time do the work |
|
Monitor extrinsic value only |
Avoid over-management |
|||
|
C — Gamma Test |
$105 – $118 |
Short call delta accelerates; upside becomes “choked” |
Roll March $110 → April $120 or $125 |
Restore upside runway |
|
Ensure roll is for a net credit |
Raise profit ceiling |
|||
|
D — Blowout |
$130+ |
Short call deep ITM; assignment risk elevated |
Close entire diagonal as one package |
Realize cycle profit |
|
Do NOT exercise LEAPS |
Preserve remaining time value |
|||
|
E — Repair Mode |
$85 or Lower |
LEAPS loses delta; short call nearly worthless |
Close March short call |
Remove dead leg |
|
Sell April call closer to price ($95–$100) |
Accelerate income recovery |
🛡 LEAPS Repair & Capital Preservation Protocol
1. Aggressive Roll-Down (Primary Repair)
- Sell $60 LEAPS
- Buy $50 or $55 LEAPS
- Restores delta and lowers effective breakeven
2. Income Compression Strategy
- Sell nearer-dated calls closer to ATM
- Accept capped upside temporarily to rebuild capital
⚠️ Advanced Only: Ratio Repair (Optional)
- Converts trade into undefined-risk structure
- Not default behavior
- Use only with margin awareness and experience
🚦 When to Cut and Walk Away
The 50% Capital Rule
- If net position value falls below ~$19.96 per spread
- Close and preserve remaining capital
Fundamental Breakdown
- Structural business change ≠ bad quarter
- Do not repair broken narratives
🔍 Greeks: What Actually Matters
Vega (Volatility)
- LEAPS benefits pre-earnings
- Short call collapses faster post-earnings
Theta (Time)
- Short call offsets LEAPS decay
- Net theta trends toward neutral
Delta (Directional Bias)
- Long: ~0.85
- Short: ~0.26
Net Delta:
- ~+1.18 (equivalent to ~118 shares)
⚠️ Delta is stable only while price remains well below the short strike. Gamma dominates near $105–$110.
⚠️ The Gamma Spike Warning
If ROKU trades above $105 post-earnings, short call delta can rapidly accelerate.
Rule:
- Do not “wait and hope” near the strike
- Close or roll early to protect upside
🎯 Feb 13 Earnings Decision Matrix (Quick Reference)
| Metric | Safe | Danger |
|---|---|---|
| Short Delta | < 0.35 | > 0.50 |
| Extrinsic | > $0.50 | < $0.20 |
| Net Theta | Near 0 | Deeply negative |
📜 Final Rule for Earnings Morning
Wait until 10:00 AM ET.
Post-earnings price discovery is chaotic early. Trade against real prices, not panic spreads.
STRESS TESTS
POSITION SNAPSHOT (Baseline)
Underlying: ROKU ≈ 91
Long: Jan 2027 60 call (deep ITM, high delta)
Short: Mar 6 110 call
Net posture: Long stock-like exposure + short theta
Think of this as:
You own synthetic stock at ~60 and are renting it out above 110.
🧪 STRESS TEST 1 — FAST REBOUND (Most People Panic Here)
Scenario
- ROKU rips: 91 → 105–108 quickly
- IV expands
- Short call wakes up
What happens mechanically
- LEAP delta explodes upward (good)
- Short call delta rises (manageable)
- Net position still strongly positive
Your rules
| Trigger | Action |
|---|---|
| Short delta < 0.30 | Do nothing |
| Short delta ≈ 0.30–0.35 | Prep roll |
| ROKU > ~108 | Roll up & out |
Correct adjustment
- Roll 110 → 115 or 120
- Move to April
- Take flat or small credit
✅ You keep upside
✅ You don’t choke the LEAP
✅ Trade stays asymmetric
Important:
You do not roll the long. Ever. This is exactly what the LEAP is for.
🧪 STRESS TEST 2 — SLOW GRIND LOWER (Silent Killer)
Scenario
- ROKU drifts: 91 → 85–88
- No drama, no IV spike
- Feels “dead”
What happens
- LEAP bleeds delta slowly
- Short decays beautifully
- PMCC works exactly as designed
Your rules
- Let Mar 6 expire or close ≥60%
- Re-sell next month ~0.20 delta
- Do not chase credit lower
Outcome after 2–3 cycles:
- Shorts fund most of the LEAP drawdown
- Position stabilizes
- No structural damage
This is the highest probability path.
🧪 STRESS TEST 3 — HARD BREAKDOWN (The One That Matters)
Scenario
- ROKU drops fast: 91 → 70–75
- IV spikes
- Headlines turn ugly
What happens
- LEAP loses intrinsic (still ITM)
- Shorts become very easy income
- Delta still >0.75 — structure intact
Your rules
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| LEAP delta > 0.70 | Hold |
| IV elevated | Sell higher IV shorts |
| Panic urge | Ignore it |
Optional defensive upgrade:
- Sell slightly closer strikes (still ≥0.25 delta max)
- Use fear to pay yourself
🚫 You still do not roll the long
🚫 You still do not “reset” cost basis
You only reassess if:
- ROKU < ~65 and
- Long delta collapses
That’s a very different trade.
🔒 FAILURE CONDITIONS (Know These)
This PMCC only breaks if:
- Stock collapses below the LEAP strike and stays there
- Or time falls below ~9 months with no recovery
You are nowhere near either.
📌 Net Result Across All Scenarios
| Scenario | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Fast rebound | LEAP wins big, short managed |
| Chop / drift | Shorts quietly compound |
| Selloff | Structure survives, income improves |
That’s why PMCCs are powerful when you don’t touch them.

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