Hi, Shrewd!        Login  
Shrewd'm.com 
A merry & shrewd investing community
Best Of BRK.ABest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd
Search
Shrewd'm.com Merry shrewd investors
Search
Best Of BRK.ABest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd


The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
Answer this questionContinue to Shrewd'mThis note won't appear again
Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (7) |
Author: Said   😊 😞
Number: of 21937 
Subject: BRK covered Calls: Lesson (learned?)
Date: 01/10/25 11:18 AM
Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
No. of Recommendations: 8
An expensive lesson I hopefully learned. May others profit from it:

I think it was Bluehorseshoe who said when he writes covered BRK calls he only writes them for a strike price at least 20% above current price, as he always thinks a sudden 10% or more jump up to be possible with Berkshire.

On 29.Jan 2024 I wrote 01/17/2025 $430 covered calls = 10% above the then $390 of a BRK-B share. I thought to be on the safe side as I thought a 10% jump possible too --- but couldn't imagine Berkshire wouldn't stay at such a high (relative to it's own price/book history) valuation for a full year. As we all know, it did not only stay there but was for a good part of last year even another 10% higher --- apart from a few very short-lived drops which were too short for me to action on them by buying the covered calls back.

A few days ago and especially today, around 1h ago, with only one more week remaining before having to say "Goodbye" to those shares (a full 1/3 of all my Berkshire shares) I used another opportunity to buy those calls back.

Outcome: 1 year ago I received a premium of $8.15. The average price paid to buy those calls back was around $19. So I had to give back the premium received and paid another 130% of that as penalty for stupidity or at least greed.

(Btw right now, just 1h later, they cost only $13.5 and it would be FAR cheaper to buy them back; the usual thing; in hindsight.......).

Greed, because anything less than the 2% I received ($8.15 premium when BRK-B was at $390) was too meagre for my taste. Therefore I didn't do the reasonable thing if one DEFINITELY(!) wants to keep his shares: To (as Bluehorseshoe does) sell covered calls only with strike 20% or more above the current stock price.

Lesson: If the premium for such a high strike (probably just $1-3, far below 1%) is too meagre one should NOT look at premiums for lower strikes --- and eventually give in to the temptation to sell those calls instead --- but should completely stay away from selling covered calls if it's important to keep one's shares (e.g. because they are favorably treated tax wise (which is the case here)).




Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
Print the post
Members reply directly to Said here — and replies get answered. Reading is free; so is joining the conversation. Join Shrewd'm »
This community has written 21,448 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 57 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 54 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (7) |


Announcements
Berkshire Hathaway FAQ
Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.

Best Of BRK.A | Best Of | Favourites & Replies | All Boards | Followed Shrewds | Open Questions | Moving a community