Optimized HIFO is a special cost-basis method that incorporates specific lot identification in order to prioritize long-term gains over short-term gains.
Optimized HIFO is very similar to regular HIFO, with the main difference being that Optimized HIFO will consider the holding period of the lot being sold, while regular HIFO will only consider the cost-basis of the lot.
This is the exact order in which Optimized HIFO will prioritize your holdings:
Any lots resulting in a short-term loss will be selected first
Any lots resulting in a long-term loss will be selected second
Any lots resulting in a long-term profit will be selected third
Any lots resulting in a short-term profit will be selected last
This means that Optimized HIFO will prioritize short-term losses over long-term losses, and will only generate short-term profit if there are no other lots to select from.
Regular HIFO will then be applied when prioritizing the lots within these 4 categories, so the lots with the highest cost will be sold first.