Week 2 is complete, and it brought a whole new layer of complexity to the journey. We didn’t just stack a second consecutive green week — we took a big step forward in position building, risk management, and emotional maturity.
Realized gain: $393
Return: ~7% on ~$4,600 starting capital
Strategies: Bear Call Spreads, Long Calls, Protective Puts, Rolling Hedges
Stocks traded: $AMD, $NVDA
Trade Review
NVDA Bear Call Spread
Nvidia started the week trading near all-time highs with elevated implied volatility. In a short, holiday-condensed week, I didn’t see much room for continued upside. So, I built a bear call spread:
- Sold $162.50 (7/3) calls
- Bought $165 (7/3) calls for protection
I scaled in across multiple legs (8 buys/8 sells), keeping the risk defined and probability high. NVDA stalled and ultimately traded in the high 150s by Friday — the short call expired out of the money, returning full profit.
AMD – Long-Term Conviction + Tactical Adjustments
While NVDA looked stretched, AMD still had room to run. It’s trading below its all-time highs and looked like a better vehicle for upside.
- I opened a long December $140 call — an at-the-money play on continued strength
- To hedge against sudden downside, I also opened protective puts (7/3 and 10/17 expiries)
- When the market pulled back, those puts spiked in value — I locked in profits and rolled to cheaper September $125 puts to keep some downside protection while freeing up capital
This was a big moment: I didn’t leave the call naked. I stayed nimble and protected the position as the market moved.
AMD Bear Call Spread — Midweek Pivot
As AMD bounced later in the week, I saw a chance to flip to a neutral-to-bearish stance short-term.
- Sold $142 (7/3) calls
- Bought $145 (7/3) calls
It was a late-week addition, but it worked: AMD finished in the high $130s, both legs expired worthless, and the spread returned full credit.
Weekly Video Recap
Week 2 Results
- Profit: +$393
- Starting balance: ~$4,600
- Deposits this week: $800
- Return: ~7%
- Trades: NVDA bear call spread, AMD long calls, AMD protective puts, AMD bear call spread
- Risk Management: Rolled hedges, locked profits, balanced directional exposure
Key Lessons
Don’t leave long calls naked
Protective puts saved me from potential damage when the market dipped. And when the puts gained, I used the profits to reposition.
You don’t have to choose a direction — you can trade both
Long AMD, short NVDA — same sector, opposite strategies. Trading in scenarios, not just predictions.
Rolling is a skill worth mastering
I rolled hedges, flipped positions, and kept control of exposure. This is something I never did consistently in my past trading life.
This is a real-money journey:
- $1,000/month deposits
- No day trading
- No margin
- Just rules, spreadsheets, and smart risk
Subscribe to follow along, and let’s build.
This is Week 2. Let’s keep stacking.