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Real trades. Real analysis.

Annotated examples showing exactly why each trade scored the way it scored, and what happened at expiration.

A+

NVDA $900 Call

March 2025 · IV Rank elevated after earnings beat. Premium at 52-week highs.

Expired worthless

Exp

Apr 18, 2025

DTE

28d

Premium

$14.20

Ann. Yield

36.3%

Delta

0.13

P&L

+$1,420

Why it scored A+

POP
87
IV Rank
92
Theta Efficiency
95
OTM Buffer
78
Event Risk
100

What drove the grade

NVDA's IV was near its 52-week high after a strong earnings reaction. Premium was elevated 40% above normal. The 13 delta meant 87% probability of expiring worthless. Theta efficiency scored 95. The premium was decaying fast relative to its size. No upcoming events. A+ by a wide margin.

What to watch for

Post-earnings IV crush is the best time to sell NVDA covered calls. Wait for the earnings pop, then sell into elevated IV within 1-2 days of the announcement.

A

AAPL $195 Call

February 2025 · Conservative wheel strategy setup. Accumulating position on weakness.

Expired worthless

Exp

Mar 21, 2025

DTE

35d

Premium

$2.80

Ann. Yield

15.4%

Delta

0.22

P&L

+$280

Why it scored A

POP
78
IV Rank
65
Theta Efficiency
72
OTM Buffer
81
Event Risk
100

What drove the grade

AAPL in a conservative wheel setup. IV Rank at 58th percentile, above average but not exceptional. The 22 delta gave 78% POP. The 5.1% OTM buffer provided meaningful downside cushion. Solid A grade. Not the highest yield, but consistent and predictable.

What to watch for

AAPL is a core wheel strategy stock. The steady IV and high liquidity make it reliable. Don't chase yield on AAPL. The conservative A grade is the right profile here.

C

TSLA $240 Call

January 2025 · Illustrative. Shows why high premium does not equal a good trade.

Assigned

Exp

Feb 21, 2025

DTE

28d

Premium

$8.50

Ann. Yield

52.3%

Delta

0.38

P&L

-$1,200 (net of premium)

Why it scored C

POP
62
IV Rank
78
Theta Efficiency
71
OTM Buffer
41
Event Risk
55

What drove the grade

The 52% annualized yield looked attractive. But the delta was 0.38, nearly a coin flip. The OTM buffer was only 2.1%. TSLA could gap past the strike on any headline. The Smart Score flagged this correctly as a C grade. The high yield was compensation for genuine assignment risk, not alpha.

What to watch for

TSLA C-grade trades are the most common retail mistake in covered calls. The premium looks amazing. The risk is real. Smart Score sees through it every time.

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