First, what’s a lined name, anyway?

A name possibility is an settlement that offers a purchaser the proper to purchase a inventory at a predetermined worth sooner or later. The vendor is compensated for giving the decision possibility purchaser the proper (or the choice) to purchase the funding they personal. The choice is “lined” if the vendor owns the underlying inventory. Canadian buyers can “write” (promote) a lined name possibility once they need to cut back the danger of proudly owning an funding.

In 1999, Mark Cuban (the minority proprietor of the Dallas Mavericks however higher often known as a panellist on Shark Tank) bought Broadcast.com to Yahoo!, and in return acquired 14.6 million shares of the corporate. Cuban was pressured to carry Yahoo’s shares (seemingly on account of a lock-in interval) and carried out a model of lined calls to guard his place, explains Koivula. 

Within the instance above, Mark Cuban may give one other investor the proper to buy one share of Yahoo—let’s say at $100 per share—at a future date. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll assume Cuban’s Yahoo shares are price $95 every, so he was capable of promote the choice for, say, $4. Listed below are two hypothetical outcomes: 

• State of affairs 1: Yahoo’s shares transfer as much as $110 per share. The counterparty workout routines their possibility to purchase at $100, and Cuban has to promote it to them at that worth. He misses out on the $15 acquire, however nonetheless has the $4 from promoting the choice. Cuban ends with $99 as a substitute of the $110 he would have if he hadn’t bought the choice.
• State of affairs 2: Yahoo’s shares fall to $90 per share. The counterparty doesn’t train the choice as a result of they wouldn’t purchase shares for $100 that they might purchase for $90. Cuban has misplaced $5 on the worth of his Yahoo share. Nonetheless, the loss has been offset by the $4 premium from promoting the choice. Cuban ends with $94 as a substitute of the $90 he would have if he hadn’t bought the choice.

You’ll be able to see that the lined name acts as a form of dampener on the investor’s general return, whereas giving them rapid revenue ($4 within the instance above).

What are lined name ETFs? 

Most Canadian buyers don’t implement choices trades. However they will personal lined name ETFs. Coated name ETF suppliers step in to implement this commerce on buyers’ behalf, with a bigger pool of funds. World X’s S&P 500 Coated Name ETF (XYLD) is a well known instance of a lined name ETF. In Canada, examples embody RBC’s Canadian Dividend Coated Name ETF (RCDC) and CI’s Gold+ Giants Coated Name ETF (CGXF). Use a Canadian ETF screener to search out extra.

Why are lined name ETFs gaining traction? 

Many Canadian retail buyers are in search of the highest dividend or yield that they will discover in an ETF. In lots of circumstances, lined name ETFs come up close to the highest of that search, says Koivula.

A few of his personal shoppers see lined name ETFs providing eye-popping yields, they usually resolve to additional examine the chance. Certainly, as of Feb 14, 2024, XYLD paid a ten.6% 12-month trailing yield, which, on face worth, is a really sturdy revenue yield. 

ETFs like this will work effectively within the short-run. Koivula factors out that shoppers like that they’re “getting paid to attend” in the event that they suppose markets shall be flat or down.