RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit - 38 DTE - 20 Delta

In this post we will look at the backtest results for dynamic exits of 38 days-to-expiration (DTE) Iron Condors (IC), with 20 delta short strikes, with different profit and loss exits.  This is a non-directional options trading strategy that seeks to profit from a market that stays within in a range between the two short strikes of the Iron Condor.

For some background on how these results are presented, please review the overview and prior 38 DTE posts at:

• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit Overview - 80 DTE
• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit Overview - 66 DTE
• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit - 38 DTE - 8 Delta
• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit - 38 DTE - 8 Delta Continued
• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit - 38 DTE - 12 Delta
• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit - 38 DTE - 12 Delta Continued
• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit - 38 DTE - 16 Delta
• RUT Iron Condor - Dynamic Exit - 38 DTE - 16 Delta Continued

As discussed in the two overview posts, we will look at the same three Iron Condor starting structures that have been backtested on this blog: Standard (STD), Delta Neutral (DN), and Extra Long Put (EL).

Also as discussed in the two overview posts, we will look at three different exits on each of these three starting structures:

• ML40% - this is a Margin Loss % Exit.  Trades using this exit strategy either exit at 8 DTE OR if the trade has a loss greater than 40% of the margin requirement for the trade. (ML40% = Max Loss 40%)
• BSP - this is a Price Movement Exit.  Trades using this exit strategy either exit at 8 DTE OR if the price of the underlying (RUT) moves below the strike of the short put.  (BSP = Below Short Put).
• 0.6:0.6 - This is an Initial Credit % Profit/Loss Exit. Trades using this exit strategy either exit at 8 DTE OR if the trade has a profit of 60% of its initial credit OR if the trade has a loss of 60% of its initial credit.  

This equity curve chart below is similar to the equity curves in my prior posts.  In the chart below, all of the STD Iron Condor versions have blue equity curves, all of the DN Iron Condor versions have green equity curves, and all of the EL Iron Condor versions have red equity curves.  The solid lines represent the equity curves for the "no touch" version, while the dashed lines represent the equity curves for the dynamically exited versions.

(click to enlarge)

Again, the Standard Iron Condor options trading strategy (STD) without a dynamic exit yielded the highest overall return.  The second highest overall return was tied between the Delta Neutral Iron Condor options trading strategy DN-0.6:0.6 and STD-0.6:0.6.

The details associated with each of the starting structure backtests can be found in the posts below:

• Standard Iron Condor - RUT - 38 DTE
• Delta Neutral Iron Condor - RUT - 38 DTE
• Extra Long Put Iron Condor - RUT - 38 DTE

In the next post I will show the results for the 38 DTE, 20 delta short strike Iron Condor options trading strategy, with varying Initial Credit % Profit/Loss Exits.

If you don't want to miss my new blog posts, follow my blog either by email or by RSS feed.  Both options are free, and are available on the top of the right hand navigation column under the headings "Follow By Email" and "Subscribe To RSS Feed".  I follow blogs by RSS using Feedly, but any RSS reader will work.