Couple Of Quick Tables

August continues to be a stellar month for my portfolios. I am now up 14.6% on the year. Just 3 weeks ago I was up just 5%.

Here is a table showing results by stock since August 1st:

Index	Stock	8/1/2014	Current	Monthly        Change
1	GTAT	13.95	17.66	26.6%
2	GNW	13.07	14.01	7.2%
3	BBEP	21.01	22.19	5.6%
4	AOD	8.63	8.86	2.7%
5	KLIC	13.85	14.53	4.9%
6	TLM	10.37	10.49	1.2%
7	RIOM	2.30	2.73	18.7%
8	ATVI	22.44	23.16	3.2%
9	GPS	40.03	43.18	7.9%
10	NTC	12.42	12.54	1.0%
11	CSQ	11.51	12.08	5.0%
12	BAC-WTA	6.38	7.21	13.0%
13	FSC	9.65	9.71	0.6%
14	TPVG	15.41	15.68	1.8%
15	TGONF	10.50	11.05	5.2%
16	TNH	148.20	152.00	2.6%
17	CSCO	25.00	24.89	-0.4%
18	NADL	9.91	10.31	4.0%
19	RPXC	15.50	15.17	-2.1%
20	AVG	17.05	17.95	5.3%
21	AGX	34.80	38.30	10.1%
22	SNDK	92.76	97.65	5.3%
23	TSL	10.76	13.00	20.8%
24	SYNA	78.11	80.32	2.8%
25	KLAC	71.63	75.14	4.9%
26	WNR	40.30	47.05	16.7%
27	TIME	24.03	23.92	-0.5%
28	HIG-WT	25.46	27.77	9.1%
29	CBI	58.32	63.87	9.5%
30	TCMCF	13.89	14.00	0.8%
31	ITRN	21.32	21.64	1.5%
32	BRCD	9.34	9.41	0.7%
33	NSR	27.55	28.71	4.2%
34	CA	28.47	28.19	-1.0%
35	O	42.98	45.40	5.6%
36	RCII	23.86	25.75	7.9%
37	OIBAX	6.12	6.13	0.2%
38	EDV	106.89	110.14	3.0%
39	Overall			9.4%

Obviously 9.4% for the month is stellar and you can see some very strong individual performances.  

Always Nice To Start Fast

Here is my August 15th 2014 tranche after a week:

8/15/2014	Start	Current	Dividend	Pct Gain	R3K Gain
CSCO	$24.40	$24.89	$0.00	2.0%	1.9%
AGX	$36.71	$38.30	$0.00	4.3%	1.9%
ITRN	$21.32	$21.64	$0.00	1.5%	1.9%
BRCD	$9.34	$9.41	$0.00	0.8%	1.9%
CBI	$58.25	$63.87	$0.00	9.7%	1.9%
Totals				3.7%	1.9%

I wish it were so easy. Need to keep in mind 51 weeks to go.

Options Results

Here is a new table I have created to track options as it is a new area I have dabbled in a little bit.  I thought about including the warrants I have on HIG and BAC as those are truly options.  But as they have been in my discretionary portfolio and are outsized compared to what I see as my more normal option transactions, I have withheld them.

Please note this table includes my multiplier.

Open Date	Ticker	Type	Shares	Open Price	Close/Current Price	Strike	Expiration	Gain
3/28/14	GTAT	sell calls	3,000	2.40	0.55	22.00	9/20/14	5,550
6/18/14	TSL	sell calls	4,000	1.45	-	13.00	9/20/14	5,800
8/21/14	GNW	buy calls	10,000	1.24	1.24	17.00	1/15/16	-
	Total							11,350

So the GTAT calls I sold have been closed. I sold them at $2.40 and bought back at 0.55. In hindisght, that may not have been necessary.  The TSL calls I sold are still open. It is above the $13 strike price, soit is a risk I lose those shares.  Still, hard to be upset with $5,800 gain on the sale plus a smaller gain on actual stock appreciation.

I have really mixed feelings about selling calls.  It does provide "income", so that is nice. But here are the negatives:

1. That income is "ordinary" income, so on a marginal basis about 45% goes to tax authorities versus 1/2 of that if they were LT capital gains or dividends.
2. I lose the upside - so if GTAT or TSL spike up, I do not benefit. However I retain the downside, though cushioned by call income.
3. I am locked in the shares. So if I wanted to sell TSL early, I would have to buy back the calls first.

Still, it is another tool in the toolkit.  I suspect I will be more likely to buy calls than sell calls.  We will see.