Trade U.S. equity options by forming delta straddles, going long on highest-return quintile and short on lowest, based on 12-month average returns, holding positions to expiration.
ASSET CLASS: options | REGION: United States | FREQUENCY:
Monthly | MARKET: equities | KEYWORD: Momentum, Straddle
I. STRATEGY IN A NUTSHELL
Trade U.S. equity options using delta-neutral straddles. Select at-the-money calls and puts each month, rank stocks by 11-month lagged returns, and go long on top quintile, short on bottom quintile. Rebalance monthly and hold straddles to expiration.
II. ECONOMIC RATIONALE
Momentum comes from underreaction to past volatility shocks and seasonal patterns in realized volatility. Strong performers over 6–36 months tend to continue performing well, while short-term reversals are limited to one-month lookbacks.
III. SOURCE PAPER
Momentum, Reversal, and Seasonality in Option Returns [Click to Open PDF]
Christopher S. Jones, Mehdi Khorram, Haitao Mo, University of Southern California – Marshall School of Business – Finance and Business Economics Department, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), University of Kansas
<Abstract>
Option returns display substantial momentum using formation periods ranging from 6 to 36 months long, with long/short portfolios obtaining annualized Sharpe ratios above 1.5. In the short term, option returns exhibit reversal. Options also show marked seasonality at multiples of three and 12 monthly lags. All of these results are highly significant and stable in the cross section and over time. They remain strong after controlling for other characteristics, and momentum and seasonality survive factor risk-adjustment. Momentum is mainly explained by an underreaction to past volatility and other shocks, while seasonality reflects unpriced seasonal variation in stock return volatility.
IV. BACKTEST PERFORMANCE
| Annualised Return | 114.83% |
| Volatility | 41.56% |
| Beta | 0.112 |
| Sharpe Ratio | 2.76 |
| Sortino Ratio | -0.78 |
| Maximum Drawdown | N/A |
| Win Rate | 41% |
V. FULL PYTHON CODE
from AlgorithmImports import *
from typing import List, Dict
from dataclasses import dataclass
#endregion
class ReversalOnStraddles(QCAlgorithm):
def Initialize(self) -> None:
self.SetStartDate(2015, 1, 1)
self.SetCash(100_000)
self.leverage: int = 20
self.quantile: int = 5
self.min_share_price: int = 5
self.min_expiry: int = 20
self.max_expiry: int = 30
self.min_daily_period: int = 14 # need n straddle prices
self.monthly_period: int = 12 # monthly straddle performance values
self.last_fundamental: List[Symbol] = []
self.straddle_price_sum: Dict[Symbol, float] = {} # call and put price sum
self.subscribed_contracts: Dict[Symbol, Contracts] = {} # subscribed option universe
self.monthly_straddle_returns: Dict[Symbol, RollingWindow] = {} # monthly straddle return values
# initial data feed
self.AddEquity('SPY', Resolution.Daily)
self.recent_year: int = -1
self.fundamental_count: int = 100
self.fundamental_sorting_key = lambda x: x.DollarVolume
self.selection_flag: bool = False
self.rebalance_flag: bool = False
self.UniverseSettings.Leverage = self.leverage
self.UniverseSettings.Resolution = Resolution.Daily
self.AddUniverse(self.FundamentalSelectionFunction)
self.Settings.MinimumOrderMarginPortfolioPercentage = 0.
self.settings.daily_precise_end_time = False
self.SetSecurityInitializer(lambda x: x.SetDataNormalizationMode(DataNormalizationMode.Raw))
self.UniverseSettings.DataNormalizationMode = DataNormalizationMode.Raw
def OnSecuritiesChanged(self, changes: SecurityChanges) -> None:
for security in changes.AddedSecurities:
security.SetFeeModel(CustomFeeModel())
def FundamentalSelectionFunction(self, fundamental: List[Fundamental]) -> List[Symbol]:
# rebalance monthly
if not self.selection_flag:
return Universe.Unchanged
self.rebalance_flag = True
if self.Time.month % 12 != 0 or self.recent_year == self.Time.year:
return self.last_fundamental
self.recent_year = self.Time.year
# filter top n U.S. stocks by dollar volume
selected: List[Fundamental] = [x for x in fundamental if x.HasFundamentalData and x.Market == 'usa' and x.Price > self.min_share_price]
if len(selected) > self.fundamental_count:
selected = [x for x in sorted(selected, key=self.fundamental_sorting_key, reverse=True)[:self.fundamental_count]]
# make sure monthly returns are consecutive
for stock in selected:
symbol: Symbol = stock.Symbol
if symbol not in self.last_fundamental:
if symbol in self.monthly_straddle_returns:
del self.monthly_straddle_returns[symbol]
# initialize new fundamental
self.last_fundamental = [x.Symbol for x in selected]
# return newly selected symbols
return self.last_fundamental
def OnData(self, data: Slice) -> None:
# execute once a day
# if not (self.Time.hour == 9 and self.Time.minute == 31):
# return
for symbol in self.last_fundamental:
# check if any of the subscribed contracts expired
if symbol in self.subscribed_contracts and self.subscribed_contracts[symbol].expiry_date - timedelta(days=1) <= self.Time.date():
# remove expired contracts
for contract in self.subscribed_contracts[symbol].contracts:
self.Liquidate(contract)
# liquidate hedge
if self.Portfolio[symbol].Quantity != 0:
self.MarketOrder(symbol, -self.Portfolio[symbol].Quantity)
# remove Contracts object for current symbol
del self.subscribed_contracts[symbol]
# check if stock has subscribed contracts
elif symbol in self.subscribed_contracts:
atm_call, atm_put = self.subscribed_contracts[symbol].contracts
if atm_call in data and atm_put in data and data[atm_call] and data[atm_put]:
# store straddle price
atm_call_price: float = data[atm_call].Value
atm_put_price: float = data[atm_put].Value
# store straddle sum price
straddle_price_sum: float = atm_call_price + atm_put_price
if symbol not in self.straddle_price_sum:
self.straddle_price_sum[symbol] = []
self.straddle_price_sum[symbol].append(straddle_price_sum)
# perform next selection, when there are no active contracts
if len(self.subscribed_contracts) == 0 and not self.selection_flag:
# liquidate leftovers
if self.Portfolio.Invested:
self.Liquidate()
self.selection_flag = True
return
# subscribe to new contracts after selection
if len(self.subscribed_contracts) == 0 and self.selection_flag:
self.selection_flag = False
for symbol in self.last_fundamental:
if self.Securities[symbol].IsDelisted:
continue
# get all contracts for current stock symbol
contracts: List[Symbol] = self.OptionChainProvider.GetOptionContractList(symbol, self.Time)
# get current price for etf
underlying_price = self.Securities[symbol].Price
# get strikes from commodity future contracts
strikes: List[float] = [i.ID.StrikePrice for i in contracts]
# can't filter contracts, if there isn't any strike price
if len(strikes) <= 0 or underlying_price == 0:
continue
# filter calls and puts contracts with one month expiry
calls, puts = self.FilterContracts(strikes, contracts, underlying_price)
# make sure, there is at least one call and put contract
if len(calls) > 0 and len(puts) > 0:
# sort by expiry
call: Symbol = sorted(calls, key = lambda x: x.ID.Date, reverse=True)[0]
put: Symbol = sorted(puts, key = lambda x: x.ID.Date, reverse=True)[0]
subscriptions = self.SubscriptionManager.SubscriptionDataConfigService.GetSubscriptionDataConfigs(call.Underlying)
# check if stock's call and put contract was successfully subscribed
if subscriptions:
# add call contract
self.AddOptionContract(call, Resolution.Daily)
# add put contract
self.AddOptionContract(put, Resolution.Daily)
# retrieve expiry date for contracts
expiry_date: datetime.date = call.ID.Date.date() if call.ID.Date.date() < put.ID.Date.date() else put.ID.Date.date()
# store contracts with expiry date under stock's symbol
self.subscribed_contracts[symbol] = Contracts(expiry_date, underlying_price, [call, put])
return # one day skip for rebalance
# trade subscribed options
if len(self.subscribed_contracts) != 0 and self.rebalance_flag:
momentum: Dict[Symbol, float] = {}
for symbol in self.subscribed_contracts:
# make sure stock's symbol was lastly selected in fundamental and have straddle prices ready
if symbol not in self.last_fundamental or symbol not in self.straddle_price_sum or not len(self.straddle_price_sum[symbol]) > self.min_daily_period:
continue
# calculate straddle performance
straddle_performance: float = self.straddle_price_sum[symbol][-1] / self.straddle_price_sum[symbol][0] - 1
# calculate average straddle performance
if symbol not in self.monthly_straddle_returns:
self.monthly_straddle_returns[symbol] = RollingWindow[float](self.monthly_period)
self.monthly_straddle_returns[symbol].Add(straddle_performance)
# calculate straddle momentum
if self.monthly_straddle_returns[symbol].IsReady:
momentum[symbol] = np.mean([x for x in self.monthly_straddle_returns[symbol]][1:]) # skip last month
# reset straddle prices for next month
self.straddle_price_sum[symbol] = []
# make sure there are enough stock's for quintile selection
if len(momentum) < self.quantile:
self.rebalance_flag = False
return
# perform quintile selection
quantile: int = int(len(momentum) / self.quantile)
sorted_by_momentum: List[Symbol] = [x[0] for x in sorted(momentum.items(), key=lambda item: item[1]) if x[0] in data and data[x[0]]]
# long the quintile with the highest return
long: List[Symbol] = sorted_by_momentum[-quantile:]
# short the quintile with the lowest return
short: List[Symbol] = sorted_by_momentum[:quantile]
# trade long
self.TradeOptions(long, True)
# trade short
self.TradeOptions(short, False)
self.rebalance_flag = False
def FilterContracts(self, strikes: List[float], contracts: List[Symbol], underlying_price: float) -> Symbol:
''' filter call and put contracts from contracts parameter '''
''' return call and put contracts '''
# Straddle
call_strike: float = min(strikes, key=lambda x: abs(x-underlying_price))
put_strike: float = call_strike
calls: List[Symbol] = [] # storing call contracts
puts: List[Symbol] = [] # storing put contracts
for contract in contracts:
# check if contract has one month expiry
if self.min_expiry < (contract.ID.Date - self.Time).days < self.max_expiry:
# check if contract is call
if contract.ID.OptionRight == OptionRight.Call and contract.ID.StrikePrice == call_strike:
calls.append(contract)
# check if contract is put
elif contract.ID.OptionRight == OptionRight.Put and contract.ID.StrikePrice == put_strike:
puts.append(contract)
# return filtered calls and puts with one month expiry
return calls, puts
def TradeOptions(self, symbols: List[Symbol], long_flag: bool) -> None:
''' on long signal buy call and put option contract '''
''' on short signal sell call and put option contract '''
length: int = len(symbols)
# trade etf's call and put contracts
for symbol in symbols:
# get call and put contract
call, put = self.subscribed_contracts[symbol].contracts
# get underlying price
underlying_price: float = self.subscribed_contracts[symbol].underlying_price
# calculate option and hedge quantity
options_q: int = int((self.Portfolio.TotalPortfolioValue / length) / (underlying_price * 100))
hedge_q: int = options_q*50
if long_flag:
self.Buy(call, options_q)
self.Buy(put, options_q)
# initial delta hedge
self.Sell(symbol, hedge_q)
else:
self.Sell(call, options_q)
self.Sell(put, options_q)
# initial delta hedge
self.Buy(symbol, hedge_q)
@dataclass
class Contracts():
expiry_date: datetime.date
underlying_price: float
contracts: List[Symbol]
# Custom fee model
class CustomFeeModel(FeeModel):
def GetOrderFee(self, parameters: OrderFeeParameters) -> OrderFee:
fee: float = parameters.Security.Price * parameters.Order.AbsoluteQuantity * 0.00005
return OrderFee(CashAmount(fee, "USD"))VI. Backtest Performance
