Covered Call Strategy

Neutral to BullishBeginnerIncome Strategy

Generate income by selling call options against stock you already own.

Covered Call Calculator

Total Income
$275.00
Max Profit
$775.00
Breakeven
$147.25
Return on Stock
5.17%
Annualized Return
22.31%
Stock Investment
$15000.00

Profit/Loss at Expiration

$090180Stock Price at Expiration

Position Summary

• Own 100 shares at $150 per share

• Short 1 call at $155 strike

• Premium received: $2.75 per share

• Total investment: $15000.00

Strategy Overview

Type:Stock + Options
Outlook:Neutral to Slightly Bullish
Risk/Reward:Limited Reward, High Risk
Complexity:Beginner

Description

A Covered Call involves owning 100 shares of stock and selling a call option against those shares to generate income. You collect premium upfront but cap your upside potential.

Setup

Own 100 Shares of Stock
Strikes: Current market price
Expiration: N/A
Sell Call Option
Strikes: Slightly out-of-the-money
Expiration: 30-45 days typically

When to Use

  • You own stock and want to generate income
  • You are neutral to slightly bullish on the stock
  • You are comfortable potentially selling at strike price
  • You want to lower your cost basis

Advantages

  • +Generate consistent income from premiums
  • +Lower effective cost basis of stock
  • +Provides some downside protection
  • +Simple strategy for income generation

Disadvantages

  • -Limits upside potential if stock rallies
  • -Full downside risk of owning stock
  • -Requires significant capital (100 shares)
  • -May miss out on big moves up

How It Works

1

Own 100 Shares: Purchase or already own 100 shares of the underlying stock.

2

Sell Call Option: Sell a call option with strike above current price, collect premium.

3

Generate Income: Keep premium if option expires worthless, or sell shares if assigned.

Key Metrics

Max Profit:Premium + (Strike - Stock Price)
Max Loss:Stock Price - Premium (if stock goes to $0)
Breakeven:Stock Price - Premium
Best Case:Stock at strike price at expiration
Assignment Risk:If stock above strike at expiration