Day Trading the SPX: Iron Condors

Earnings Week

Welcome to another critical earnings week. That will likely provide a lot of opportunity in the market between earnings trades and movement in the indexes.

This week, we will see reports from:

  • Amazon (AMZN)
  • Super Micro Computer Inc (SMCI)
  • Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
  • Etsy (ETSY)
  • Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)
  • Coinbase (COIN)
  • Cloudflare (NET)
  • Apple (AAPL)
  • …& more!

This means we have another opportunity for the Nasdaq to recover, but will it? I’m not convinced. Either way, we will have many trading opportunities…

0 DTE SPX

One method I use to trade the indexes that works well during earnings season is day trading the SPX using 0 DTE options the last hour before the market closes. During this time, the market is moving based on an anticipated earnings result or staying stagnant because it’s waiting on a critical company to report. In either scenario, there is an options trade you can use so long as the trade sets up and you’re able to determine with a reasonable degree of confidence which one that is.

Directional or Neutral

The key is identifying if it is a neutral or directional move. I do this by using the market internals to identify the feel at the end of the day. At that point, I determine key strikes for a neutral trade or targets for a directional trade.

In the example below, I day traded the SPX using a neutral iron condor for the last 25 minutes of the day as the market was stagnant and waiting on some big news after the market closed. This trade was good for a quick $450 before the market closed.

Check out my Trade Review video to learn more about utilizing this strategy on a choppy day!

P.S. To join me in the Simpler Central trading room, click this link to learn more about our $1 trial! 

Up Next...

Butterflies + Put Credit Spreads Combined

A Bullish Earnings Call Last week, in the trading room, one of our members requested that I analyze the ticker AAP. This ticker belongs to Applovin, a company I’ve never traded before. This find is a prime example of the collaborative aspect of the trading room, and it’s why I appreciate our dedicated traders so … Read more

Read More

Walmart: Earnings in Focus

Walmart Earnings: May 16th Walmart is reporting earnings on Thursday, May 16th, before the bell. This is one of the most important earnings reports this week because it will show investors how the largest retailer in the United States and the world is faring. Between high inflation, consumer sentiment, and behavior, various factors could impact … Read more

Read More

Trading Directional Butterflies

Earnings Strategy In this Trade Review video, I cover my 100% winner which was a directional butterfly in Amazon. I traded this ticker due to a combination of a technical plus fundamental setup, where I had a solid entry with an edge. In the video, I explain how I used the options chain combined with … Read more

Read More

Subscribe Today!

Want my up-to-date analysis, setups, top trading tips, and more? Be a Five Star trader, and join my free newsletter today!

Sign Up Now
all-as-seen-on-logos