Option Strategy Spotlight: Long Call vs Bull Call Spread

Then we will perform the same assessment on Trader #2’s bull call spread. Finally, we will put these two strategies side by side and review their respective benefits and trade-offs. A complete loss occurs anywhere below the lower purchased call strike price ($52.50) which amounts to the entire premium paid of $42. To illustrate, the call option strike price sold is $55.00 and the call option strike price purchased is $52.50; therefore, the difference is $250 [($55.00 – $52.50) x 100 shares/contract]. The bull call spread is a two leg spread strategy traditionally involving ATM and OTM options.

• Worth pointing out is that the regular August expiration that we used in the first example will capture the company’s earnings results.
• This will be the case no matter how high the underlying stock has risen in price.
• However, one significant drawback from using a bull call spread is that potential gains are limited.
• 2 standard deviation Iron Condors with a mean-reverting ATM debit spread hedge implemented in the event of a loss.
• This way you can use the calendar call spread option strategy to maximize your profits.

Thus, any change in the value of a derivative reflects the price fluctuation of its underlying asset. Such assets comprise stocks, commodities, market indices, bonds, currencies and interest rates. Options involve a high degree of risk and are not suitable for all investors. The calculations, information, and opinions on this site are for educational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Calculations are estimates and do not account for all market conditions and events. Bear Call SpreadBear Put SpreadAdvantagesIt allows you to profit in a flat market scenario when you’re expecting the underlying to mildly drop, be range bound or marginally rise. Since the strategy involves being long one call and short another with the same expiration, the effects of volatility shifts on the two contracts may offset each other to a large degree.

Bull Call Debit Spread market outlook

If the stock is unlikely to move much, then selling a 60-strike call makes a bit less sense because the premium received will be lower. Buying a call with a 52 or 53 strike would be cheaper than buying the 50-strike call, but there is less greater downside protection with the lower strike.

A bull call spread is the strategy of choice when the forecast is for a gradual price rise to the strike price of the short call. A bull call spread, which is an options strategy, is utilized by an investor when he believes a stock will exhibit a moderate increase in price. A bull spread involves purchasing an in-the-money call option and selling an out-of-the-money call option with a higher strike price but with the same underlying asset and expiration date. A bull call spread should only be used when the market is exhibiting an upward trend. If the trader expects the stock to remain within the particular range till the expiration date, then bull call spread can be a good deal.

Bull Call Spread Calculator

After we initiate the trade, the market can move in any direction and expiry at any level. Therefore let us take up a few scenarios to get a sense of what would happen to the bull call spread for different levels of expiry. Quantitative Perspective – The stock is consistently trading between the 1st standard deviation both ways (+1 SD & -1 SD), exhibiting a consistent mean reverting behavior.

• Yet to deploy these strategies effectively, you also need to develop an understanding of which option spread to use in a given trading environment or specific stock situation.
• Determine which of the vertical spreads best suits the situation, if any, then consider which strike prices to use before pulling the trigger on a trade.
• If the price of Nifty rises, your loss will be limited to difference between two strike prices minus net premium.
• The maximum profit of this spread strategy is capped by the higher strike call sold if the price of the underlying rises to a level greater than that anticipated by the trader.
• Ideally, what you are looking for though is to target your profit at the value of the sold front-month contract.
• And don’t worry, they’re not going to expire, so feel free to bookmark the page if you’d prefer.

I suppose at this stage you may be wondering why anyone would choose to implement a bull call spread versus buying a plain vanilla call option. It can be exited in multiple stages by closing the positions leg by leg depending on the direction in which the underlying stock price is moving.

Trendy Short Put Spread

A vertical call spread can be a bullish or bearish strategy, depending on how the strike prices are selected for the long and short positions. The stock price of XYZ begins to rise and closes at $46 on expiration date. Both options expire in-the-money with the JUL 40 call having an intrinsic value of $600 and the JUL 45 call having an intrinsic value of $100. Since the trader had a debit of $200 bull call spread calculator when he bought the spread, his net profit is $300. It can be very hard with these strategies because of the decay in the back month option that you are long to pinpoint an exact probability of profit. Ideally, what you are looking for though is to target your profit at the value of the sold front-month contract. The closer you get to expiration, the faster that profit will start to materialize.

When a Bull Call Spread is purchased, the trader instantly knows the maximum amount of money they can possibly lose and the maximum amount of money they can make. The trader is either risk-averse, wanting to know beforehand their maximum loss, or wants greater leverage than simply owning a stock. Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. Before trading options, please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request. Going by the above example, it is clear that even though the trader’s view was correct, he still had to book loss in 2 out of the three cases.

Stock Repair Option Strategy

The break even point is achieved when the price of the underlying is equal to strike price of the short Call plus net premium received. Hence, if the underlying stock closes at $136.51 ($135 + $1.51) on the expiration, there would neither profit nor loss on our bull https://www.bigshotrading.info/ call spread. Maximum loss is equal to the spread’s cost—the amount paid to enter into the trade. Therefore, the total risk is limited to the amount you paid upfront while entering into the transaction. Online trades are $0 for stocks, ETFs, options and mutual funds.

Online trading has inherent risk due to system response and access times that may vary due to market conditions, system performance, and other factors. An investor should understand these and additional risks before trading. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. All investments involve risk and losses may exceed the principal invested.

Before taking a spread trade, consider what is being given up or gained by choosing different strike prices. Consider the probabilities that the maximum gain will be attained or that the maximum loss will be taken. A calendar call spread consists of two calls with the same strike price but different expirations. The position will profit if the underlying security price does not change much. The value of the short leg will decay faster than the value of long leg. However, one significant drawback from using a bull call spread is that potential gains are limited.