This week’s Weekly Stock Screen and Watch List has been uploaded to The Blue Collar Investor Premium Member site and is available for download in the “Reports” section. Look for the report dated 07/17/26.

Be sure to check out the latest BCI Training Videos and “Ask Alan” segments. You can view them on The Blue Collar YouTube Channel. For your convenience, the link to the BCI YouTube Channel is:

https://www.youtube.com/user/BlueCollarInvestor

Barry and The Blue Collar Investor Team

1. This week’s ETF Report has been uploaded to your member site. Login to the member site and scroll down on the left side to access the report.

ETF Report Video Link:

Explanation of the report format:

https://youtu.be/addf7Y54ixwput

2.The new Blue Chip (Dow 30) Report for the August contracts has been uploaded to your members site. Look in the “resources/downloads” section (right side) and scroll down to “B”

3. I’ve attached to premium member emails a 5-day, defensive covered call trade with ANET, an elite-performing stock at the time of the trades. I executed these trades on 7/13/2026, for the 7/17/2026 expirations. Since trade initiation, technology has been hit hard with concerns over AI overexposure. This is another excellent example of the significant protection offered by deep ITM call strikes. ANET closed at $171.92 today (down 6% today alone), down $15.68 from trade entry. The current price is above the breakeven price by $0.37, but hasn’t breached the 10% (BTC/GTC) guideline. I’ve currently given up almost all my downside protection but grateful for my defensive posture when entering the trade.

4. Our loyalty pledge to you: Premium members will NEVER experience a rate hike as long as premium member subscriptions remains active … NEVER.

5. New Quasar Markets interview:

https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1nxnRRdyPaMxO

Wishing you the best results,

Alan & the BCI team

William,

Your rational is spot on and, in the long run, you will benefit from this approach.

There are times when it would have been better to wait (PANW), but at some time we must accept a loss and move on. Ther 3% guideline has worked well for me for the past 3 decades.

Now, regarding the SEI trades, there was a steep decline on 2/4, but at no time did share price drop below either of the deep OTM put strikes by 3% or by any amount. I was ready to pull the trigger, but it wasn’t necessary.

Keep up the good work.

Alan

I have a question regarding the SEI trades mentioned below.

I get the rolling up part, but when I looked at the chart for SEI from the start of the trade through expiration I saw a big stock price decline on 2/4/26.

I’m trading mostly deep OTM puts these days and am trying to stick to exit strategies that are stock price dependent to reduce losses.
I’m trying to exit if stock prices drop to 97% of strike until the last week, then using the strike price as trigger.

I’m trying to make my decisions based on whether there is an overall market decline when I try to hold positions longer or if it seems the stock is in trouble when I need to get out.
When I looked at SEI in early February and compared it to other stocks supposedly in the same industry, it seemed like SEI was in trouble.

Can you shed a little light on why you held the position through this decline?

Last week I bailed out on a 320 put trade on PANW when it dropped to 318 and took a loss, then it bounced back and I was left holding the bag…
Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks,
William

This week’s Weekly Stock Screen and Watch List has been uploaded to The Blue Collar Investor Premium Member site and is available for download in the “Reports” section. Look for the report dated 07/10/26.

Be sure to check out the latest BCI Training Videos and “Ask Alan” segments. You can view them on The Blue Collar YouTube Channel. For your convenience, the link to the BCI YouTube Channel is:

https://www.youtube.com/user/BlueCollarInvestor

Barry and The Blue Collar Investor Team

1. This week’s ETF Report has been uploaded to your member site. Login to the member site and scroll down on the left side to access the report.

ETF Report Video Link:

Explanation of the report format:

https://youtu.be/addf7Y54ixwput

2. I’ve attached to premium member emails 5-day, defensive cash-secured put trades with 3 strikes, using FTNT, an elite-performing stock at the time of the trades. I executed these trades on 7/6/2026, for the 7/10/2026 expirations. Since trade initiation, technology has been volatile. This is another excellent example of the significant protection offered by deep OTM put strikes. FTNT closed at $156.71 today, down $5.72 from trade entry. The current price is above all put strikes with 2 trading days remaining until contract expirations. I’m still in a comfortable position to realize the 28% – 40% annualized returns. As always, I remain prepared to execute exit strategies, if those opportunities arise.

3. Our loyalty pledge to you: Premium members will NEVER experience a rate hike as long as premium member subscriptions remains active … NEVER.

4. New Quasar Markets interview:

(21) Quasar Markets on X: “Alan Ellman talking #option strategies! https://t.co/qQ4Rg27TcV” / X

Wishing you the best results,

Alan & the BCI team

Neil,

Since I am not a tax expert, I ask you to consider my response as a starting point, which needs to be confirmed by your tax advisor before acting on it.

Yes, this is possible with certain brokerages, Fidelity being one of them (Schwab and Interactive are also friendly along these lines).

The strategy is referred to as “specific tax lot identification” and you’re off to a good start by changing FIFO to LIFO.

Now, a couple of points you may want to consider:

1. If you take this action with broker approval (make sure you speak with your broker prior to expiration to confirm), you are not eliminating tax, just deferring it, because your shares remain in your account at the lower cost-basis.

2. Let’s say the price of LMND is still $71.30 as expiration nears and those newly acquired shares are provided at exercise, there is a loss of $6.30 per-share. The cost-to-close the $65 call would be $6.30 + a few pennies on expiration Friday. This is an alternative you may want to consider.

Good job changing FIFO to LIFO, putting yourself in a position to take advantage of “specific tax lot identification”.

Alan