Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

Mastering Long Volatility Strategies

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How to Profit When Markets Tremble

When markets are stable, traders often get complacent. But volatility is like a sleeping dragon—quiet for long stretches, only to awaken with a vengeance. The moment the VIX spikes, uninformed investors panic. Meanwhile, the seasoned options trader thrives.

Long volatility strategies allow you to profit when fear takes over the market. They act as hedges when your bullish trades get shaken and offer opportunities to capitalize on violent price swings. In this article, we’ll dissect the mechanics of long volatility trades, the importance of hedging, and how to take advantage of a rising VIX.

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Backwards-Looking

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I’ve got to say, I am just head over heels about our Options Charts. I haven’t seen anything like these ANYWHERE on the web, and they’re fantastic. Here are some favorite trades from the past in which the market kept pushing higher (AKA I sold too soon). The red horizontal marks the sell point (to be clear, I often got back into the same trade later, so it’s not all about self-flagellation).

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Wally World

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Walmart IPO’d in 1974. Then a recent college grad and not yet an investor in the markets, I paid it no mind. Anyone who did invest then has done remarkably well with extraordinary gains.

It bears paying attention to the stock now.  During their earnings report on February 20, the company noted that earnings for 2025 would be below expectations. This warning comes on the heels of the threat of tariffs being placed on China imports, which imports constitute a large number of Walmart’s products.

Here are monthly charts of WMT: the first chart showing its entire history; the second chart showing recent price movement.

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