Greetings from Dublin!
Over the past week, I traveled to Dublin, Ireland, where I combined family time, sightseeing, and a bit of investing research.
While exploring downtown Dublin with my daughter, I made a few spontaneous additions to our long-term stock portfolio after visiting familiar businesses such as McDonald's and Papa John's. These purchases were not based on deep financial analysis but rather on an investing habit I've been developing over the years: occasionally turning everyday experiences into opportunities to become a small owner instead of just a customer.
It was a fascinating week in Ireland. While my future wife attended one of the largest localization industry conferences for networking and professional development, my daughter and I spent our time exploring Dublin and discovering new places. I also took the opportunity to learn a little more about the Irish stock market and local investing culture.
Outside of Dublin, one of the highlights of the trip was renting a car at Dublin Airport and driving along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. We stayed in Galway and Doolin, visited the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, and enjoyed some excellent seafood chowder along the coast.
Back to the portfolio.
As of June 12, 2026, the portfolio value increased by 0.99% compared to the previous week, reaching $12,664.
This week I took a proactive approach to managing my NVIDIA position. With NVDA trading around the $200 level, I felt there was an increased possibility of further downside, so I rolled the existing bull put credit spread one week forward while lowering the strike prices.
The new position was established at the 192.5/170 strikes. In the process, I widened the spread, increasing the maximum theoretical risk but also creating considerably more room for the trade to succeed. The adjustment generated additional premium while moving the short strike farther away from the current market price.
Widening a spread is not something I do routinely, but under the circumstances it seemed like a reasonable adjustment. As always, the objective is not to maximize premium but to improve the probability of success while keeping overall portfolio risk at an acceptable level.
Current Options Positions
- NVDA Jun 18, 2026 192.5/170 Bull Put Credit Spread
- 2x BMY Jun 18, 2026 50/46 Bull Put Credit Spread
- DBK FRA Jun 19, 2026 24/20 Bull Put Credit Spread (EUR)
- NFLX Aug 21, 2026 76 Cash-Secured Put
- LHA FRA Sep 18, 2026 7.6 Cash-Secured Put (EUR)
- ARCC Sep 18, 2026 16 Cash-Secured Put
- NVDA Jun 17, 2027 $125 Covered Call
Most of the short-term premium still comes from NVDA credit spreads. Longer-dated positions such as NFLX, LHA and ARCC currently function more like income-producing cash-secured puts than weekly trading positions.
Reinvesting Premium
Using premium collected this week, I added:
- 0.1 shares of NVDA
- 0.1 shares of McDonald's (MCD)
- 0.5 shares of Papa John's (PZZA)
Both MCD and PZZA were spontaneous additions inspired by our travels around Ireland.
Interestingly, all three recent purchases are dividend-paying stocks. Together with NVIDIA's recently increased dividend, projected annual dividend income has now grown to approximately $181.50.
That certainly won't fund an early retirement, but it is becoming meaningful. It's enough to pay for a night in a decent hotel somewhere along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way.
More importantly, it demonstrates how small, consistent investments can gradually compound into a growing stream of passive income over many years.
Weekly Options Income and Margin Update
This week generated $51 in options premium.
That's below my long-term goal of generating around $100 per week, but I'd rather grow the portfolio steadily than take unnecessary risks. Blowing up an account is easy; building one takes time.
I don't expect to consistently generate more than $100 per week under current market conditions without materially increasing portfolio risk. For now, patience seems like the better approach.
Margin Debt
Margin usage increased slightly this week because of the additional purchases of McDonald's and Papa John's shares. For the moment, I'm comfortable with that.
The current margin balance stands at approximately -$2,980. At a constant pace of $51 in weekly premium, it would theoretically take about 58 weeks to eliminate the remaining margin debt.
Of course, that is only a rough estimate. Premium income fluctuates from week to week, dividend payments occasionally contribute, and market conditions constantly change.
My goal remains reducing the margin balance to zero sometime during 2027 while continuing to grow the portfolio without taking excessive risk.
Lessons From This Week
- Risk management remains more important than maximizing premium.
- Rolling challenged positions can buy additional time and improve probabilities.
- Small but consistent stock purchases gradually increase dividend income and diversification.
- Generating reliable options income requires patience and realistic expectations.
Looking Ahead
The primary position to monitor next week remains the NVDA 192.5/170 Bull Put Credit Spread.
If the trade comes under pressure, the plan remains unchanged: roll forward whenever appropriate, preferably for additional credit, while continuing to prioritize long-term portfolio stability over maximizing short-term premium.
Final Thoughts
This week served as another reminder that portfolio growth doesn't always come from collecting the largest possible option premiums.
Often, the best long-term results come from disciplined trade management, consistent reinvestment of option income, and gradually accumulating quality businesses over many years.
Premium income may have been below average this week, but the portfolio continued moving in the right direction through new investments, growing dividend income, and careful risk management.
Disclaimer: This article reflects my personal investing journey and is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be considered investment advice.