TL;DR
- High-beta growth names with liquid options still lead the 2026 covered-call list.
- Focus on stocks trading in confirmed Stage II uptrends and above their 50-day averages.
- Stick to weekly or monthly out-of-the-money calls with at least 1% weekly premium and a hard stop on the underlying.
- Position size so no single name can take more than 2% of total equity on a gap-down.
- Review the list every Friday; names fall off the moment trend or liquidity breaks.
I still remember the Friday in March 2008 when I realized hope is not a strategy. My account had just coughed up 38% in six weeks, and I was staring at a screen full of red wondering how decades of “buy good companies and hold” had failed me. That weekend I wrote a single line on a yellow legal pad: Only enter a trade if I know exactly where I will get out.
The next week I rebuilt every position around covered calls combined with hard stops. By December 2009 the account had not only recovered the loss but was ahead 63%. Same market, same stocks, different rules. The list you are about to read is the 2026 version of those rules in action.
Screening Rules That Survived Four Bear Markets
We start with three non-negotiable filters that have kept me out of trouble since 2008.
- Liquidity: Open interest on the near-the-money weekly call must exceed 1 000 contracts.
- Volatility: Implied vol rank above 30% so the premium is worth collecting.
- Trend: Stock must be above its 50-day simple moving average on both daily and weekly charts.
Everything else is noise. If a favorite ticker fails any one of these, it drops off the list until all three boxes are checked again.
The Core 2026 List
Below are the names that currently meet every screen and that I personally trade. Weight them equally or use position sizing rules; just do not fall in love with any of them.
Large-Cap Growth
- NVDA – AI capex story intact, weekly premium 1.3-1.8%, tight bid-ask spreads on Friday expirations.
- MSFT – Boring but reliable, premium runs 0.8-1.1% weekly. Works well in sideways summers.
- TSLA – Still the poster child for volatility. I use 0.20-delta calls and a 20% trailing stop on the shares.
Mid-Cap Momentum
- CRWD – Cybersecurity budget line items are recession-resistant. Liquidity jumped after the last earnings gap.
- SNOW – Enterprise data spend is sticky. Weekly calls at 0.15 delta pay 1.5% with two days to expiry.
- DDOG – Smaller float, so position size is capped at half normal to control gap risk.
Old-School Cash Cows
- AAPL – No longer a high-flier, but the option chain is the most liquid on the planet. Great for beginners.
- JPM – Interest-rate volatility feeds fat option premiums. I sell calls on red Fed days only.
- OXY – Energy patch gives diversification and Buffett’s open-market buying puts a floor under the name.
How I Manage the List Week by Week
Every Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern I run the same scan. A stock that closes below its 50-day or shows declining open interest gets kicked out. New names that clear the filters are added the following Monday. The discipline is mechanical because the market is emotional.
If you want to watch the process in real time, I stream the Friday scan on YouTube at 3:30 p.m. No slides, just the raw screen and ticker symbols.
Position Sizing in the AI Age
Even the best list will break your account if you bet too big. My rule is simple: no single underlying can cost more than 2% of total equity on a gap-down through my stop. With options premium collected, that usually translates into a 4-5% allocation. AI tools now flag violations automatically, but the math is the same one I used on a Texas Instruments calculator in 1987.
Three Fast Answers to Common Questions
What delta should I sell?
I look for 0.15-0.20 delta on weekly calls. That balances decent premium with a low chance of assignment, yet still gives a clear line in the sand if the stock rips higher.
How much premium is “enough”?
At least 1% per week on growth names, 0.7% on blue chips. Anything less and you are working for wages, not building wealth.
Do I close early or let it expire?
I buy the call back when I can do so for 20% of the original credit or less. Capturing the last nickel is not worth the gamma risk.
If you are ready to turn this list into real cash flow instead of more reading, the next step is a structured mentorship where we build the system around your account size and risk tolerance.
This is education, not financial advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Consult a qualified advisor before making investment decisions.