About WelIindia Securities

Wellindia Securities is amongst the best brands in the financial services, providing a
comprehensive range of financial and investment related products and services to our customers
with varied needs ranging from equities, commodities, depository services and currencies.
The company is the member of various Indian equity, currency and commodity exchanges such
as NSE, BSE, MCX, NCDEX, and Depository Participant with CDSL which ensures direct
access with the lowest transaction costs.

Wellindia Securities Vision

To emerge as a globally renowned, financial service organization, provisioning the financial

services to all the clients, thereby attaining the pinnacle of the industry, with an environment of
professionalism, competence, teamwork & service excellence.

Services Offered

1. Broking- Wellindia is licensed professionals in this field. Its experienced financial

experts are delegated with the responsibility of market research to provide better
recommendation and personal attention to every client.
Offerings in Broking

A centralized help desk for every query.

Traders account statements on a regular basis.

Advanced trading software.

Online trading facility

Trading calls and message alerts.

Expert advice.

Very competitive brokerage rates.

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2. Wellindia Depository Services

Wellindia offer dematerialization services as a participant in Central Depository Services
Limited (CDSL), through its Depository operations. The company believes in efficient
and cost-effective integrated services support to its broking business. Wellindia as a
depository participant offers depository accounts for its broking business. Wellindia as a
depository participant offers depository accounts for its investors.
3. Algo Trading
It is a computerized trading system that institutional investors use to make large
transactions in securities while affecting their price as little as possible. Algo Trading
uses mathematical formulas to identify the ideal times to buy and sell securities in large
batches. It allows traders to establish specific rules for both trade entries and exits that
once programmed can be automatically executed via the computer.
4. Advisory and research
Wellindia provides research in Equity, commodity and Current. Services offered in this
field include:

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Live market calls are available.

Research and Advisory available via telephone.

Investment advisory services.

Portfolio Management Services.

Too often, traders jump into the options game with little or no understanding of how many
options strategies are available to limit their risk and maximize return. With a little bit of effort,
however, traders can learn how to take advantage of the flexibility and full power of options as a
trading vehicle. Options are extremely versatile securities that can be used in many different
ways. Traders use options to speculate, which are a relatively risky practice, while hedgers use
options to reduce the risk of holding an asset. An investor can create a butterfly strategy using all
the options. This study covers how options are profitable for traders and investors. The Securities
Laws Amendment Ordinance, promulgated by the President on 25 January 1995, amended the
Securities Contract Regulation Act, 1956 and removes the prohibitions on options in the
preamble to the Act. The ordinance paved the way for the introduction of options trading on
stock exchanges. The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and other stock exchanges
introduced index-based derivatives to facilitate the hedging of risk exposures.
Options present a world of opportunities to sophisticated investors. The power of options lies in
their versatility. They enable investor to adapt or adjust his position according to any situation
that arises. Options can be as speculative or as conservative. This means he can do everything for
protecting a position from a decline to outright betting on the movement of a market or index.
This versatility, however, does not come without its costs. Options are complex securities and
can be extremely risky. This is why, when trading options, one will see a disclaimer like the
following:
Options involve risks and are not suitable for everyone. Option trading can be speculative in
nature and carry substantial risk of loss. Only invest with risk capital.
Stock options dont lose money. People lose money. Options are an incredibly flexible tool that
investors can use to protect, boost and diversify their portfolios or lose a whole lot of money.
Smart options investors can reduce their risk, while reckless investors can lose 80% or more of
their money much faster than sticking with stocks. But we know that clients of Well India
Securities invest intelligently and options can certainly be part of a smart strategy. Options
arent for beginning investors. But this doesnt mean one need to be a super-sophisticated
professional trader to benefit from them.

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Volatility of an Asset
Some argue that options are just a more volatile form of stock trading, but now the investors
views has been transformed which argues that option volatility is actually a separate asset class,
one that can be used to diversify a stock portfolio and actually reduce its level of risk.

The great thing about a volatility trade is that traders can make money even if in the absence of
any clue of what direction a stock is going to take. Buying a straddle (the simultaneous purchase
of a call and a put) makes sense when implied volatility is very low and you expect an explosive
increase. Selling put options is a great strategy after a general market panic because the price of
options (i.e., implied volatility) skyrockets. People become afraid and are willing to pay almost
any price for put insurance leaving the contrarian put seller sitting pretty collecting the
rewards.

Options trading will be of interest to those who wish to:

1) Participate in the market without trading or holding a large quantity of stock.
2) Protect their portfolio by paying small premium amount.

Need of using options: Diversify & Reduce risk

Investors typically use options for three reasons:

To hedge a position, to increase leverage or to speculate on an asset's movement.

Hedging a position is usually done to protect against or insure the risk of an asset. For
example if an investor own shares of a stock and you want to protect against the chance
that the stock's price will fall, then you may buy a put option. In this case, if the stock
price rises he gains because he own the shares and if the stock price falls, he gain because
he own the put option. The potential loss from holding the security is hedged with the
options position.

Leverage can be greatly enhanced by using derivatives. Derivatives, specifically options

are most valuable in volatile markets. When the price of the underlying asset moves
significantly in a favorable direction, then the movement of the option is magnified. High
volatility increases the value of both puts and calls.

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Speculating is a technique when investors bet on the future price of the asset. Because
options offer investors the ability to leverage their positions, large speculative plays can
be executed at a low cost.

Thus, a trader can use options to profit in any kind of market. Buy an option in a speculative
attempt to triple your money or as risk-reduction insurance to protect an existing stock position.
Traders can sell options to generate monthly income. Or spreads are also used to buy and sell at
the same time possibly turning a losing investment into a winner.
Benets of trading in Options:
a) Able to transfer the risk to the person who is willing to accept them.
b) Incentive to make prots with minimal amount of risk capital.
c) Lower transaction costs
d) Provides liquidity, enables price discovery in underlying market

Options help the traders to make profit from bear markets as well as range-bound markets, and
that means theyre a perfect way to diversify away from a long-only, buy-and-hold stock
portfolio. Profiting from stagnant and declining prices are just two ways you can row your
portfolio to gains in a difficult market full of headwinds.

Calls and puts, alone or combined with each other or positions in the underlying stock, can
provide leverage or protection to a portfolio and help an investor:

Profit in bull, bear or flat markets

Protect gains in a stock that looks shaky

Generate steady income from an underlying portfolio of blue-chip stocks

Attempt to double or triple your money

Options should be used intelligently to make profits and for minimizing risk. Further, the study
shows the various strategies of investment used to hedge the portfolio.

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Giovanni Cespa and Xavier Vives (2014) considered a two-period market with persistent
liquidity trading and risk averse privately informed investors who have a one period horizon.
With persistence, prices reect average expectations about fundamentals and liquidity trading.
Informed investors engage in retrospective learning to reassess the inference about
fundamentals made at the early stage of the trading game. This introduces strategic
complementarities in the use of information and can yield two stable equilibria which can be
ranked in terms of liquidity, volatility, and informational eciency. They establish the limits of
the beauty contest analogy for nancial markets and derive a rich set of implications to explain
market anomalies, and empirical regularities.
World Economic Forum Report The Future of Long-term Investing (2013) sheds light on long
term investing, long term investor, risk and returns, hedging of portfolios and the impact of long
term investing on investors, corporations and society and thus, provides a foundation for the
growing conversation about long-term investing.
Khwanchanok Kessakorn (2013) examined effectiveness of currency hedging of forward
contracts and options in international portfolio, consisting of assets denominated in Chinese
Yuan and Indian Rupee. The finding shows that hedging strategies, either with forwards or
options yield better performance compared to unhedged strategy.
H. Windcli (2013) investigates the behavior and hedging of discretely observed volatility
derivatives. It investigated the eects of assumptions regarding the underlying asset price
movements and eects of the contractual design on the pricing of volatility derivatives.
The article How to Use Stock Options to Reduce Risk and Enhance Your Portfolios Returns
written by Jim Fink (2012) outlines the options pricing behavior, options strategies and how
options cover the risk the risk of investor.
Colin Bennett (2012) explains the advantages of using options over investing in equity. Options
provide leverage and an ability to take a view on volatility as well as equity direction. The paper
examines how investors can choose the appropriate strategy, strike and expiry. It also explains
hidden risks, such as dividends and the difference between delta and the probability an option
ends up in-the-money.

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Chris Brooks (2006) evaluates the efficiency of cross hedging with single stock futures (SSF)
contracts. Iraj Kani, Emanuel Derman and Michael Kamal (2006) describe the use of option to
for hedging.
Menachem Brenner and Jin E. Zhang (2005) introduced a new volatility instrument, an option on
a straddle which could be used to hedge volatility risk. They suggested the design and valuation
of straddle are the basic ingredient of a successful financial product.
Vikas Agarwal and Narayan V. Naik (2004) characterized the systematic risk exposures of hedge
funds using buy-and-hold and option based strategies. The results showed that a large number of
equity oriented fund strategies exhibit payoffs resembling a short position in the put option on
the market index.

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Objectives

To explore the profitability in option trading that provides an opportunity of making

profit in those stocks whose range of trading is limited or in volatile market.

To analyze the varied use of options as a means of hedging the portfolio of securities.

Sources of data collection

The data is based on the real time exposure of options trading in Wellindia Securities and
other secondary sources. For this purpose, articles from website and Economic times,
books and journal has been referred. The information about different kinds of trading
strategies along with their respective payoffs is given by NSE.
Research Design
The project is based on quantitative research involving payoffs of different hedging
strategies, timings of their use and necessary breakeven needed to extract gain from the
situation. It aims at analyzing the profitability of option trading under different market
situations.

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Options Basics
An option is a contract written by a seller that conveys to the buyer the right but not the
obligation to buy (in the case of a call option) or to sell (in the case of a put option) a
particular asset, at a particular price (Strike price / Exercise price) in future. In return for granting
the option, the seller collects a payment (the premium) from the buyer. Exchange- traded options
form an important class of options which have standardized contract features and trade on public
exchanges, facilitating trading among large number of investors. They provide settlement
guarantee by the Clearing Corporation thereby reducing counterparty risk. Options can be used
for hedging, taking a view on the future direction of the market, for arbitrage or for
implementing strategies which can help in generating income for investors under various market
conditions.

Parties involved in the

options trading

Option seller

Option buyer

Option broker

The option seller or writer is a person who grants someone else the option to buy or sell.
He receives a premium on its price.

The option buyer pays a price to the option writer to induce him to write the option.

The option broker, who is an agent, finds the buyer and seller, and receives a commission
or fee for it.

The derivatives trading at NSE commenced with futures on the Nifty 50 in June 2000.
Subsequently, various other products were introduced and presently futures and options contracts
on the following products are available at NSE:

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1) Indices: Nifty 50, CNX IT Index, Bank Nifty Index, CNX Nifty Junior, CNX 100, Nifty
Midcap 50, Mini Nifty and Long dated Options contracts on Nifty 50.
2) Single stocks 228
The Options are classified based on type of exercise. At present the Exercise style can be
European or American.

Types of options on the

basis of time to exercise

European Option

American Option

American Option - American options are options contracts that can be exercised at any
time up to the expiration date. Options on individual securities available at NSE are
American type of options.

European Options - European options are options that can be exercised only on the
expiration date. All index options traded at NSE are European Options.

Options contracts like futures are Cash settled at NSE.

The profitability of an option trade depends on correctly predicting the direction that the
underlying stock will move (or not move) by a particular date. But those predictions dont have
to be random guesses. To use options well, a trader have to get to have a healthy understanding
of the intrinsic value of the business involved.

There are two types of options: calls and puts. And there are two sides to every option
transaction: the party buying the option, who has a long position, and the party selling (also
called writing) the option, who has a short position. Each side comes with its own risk-reward
profile and its own strategies.

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Types of Option

Call

Puts

A call is the option to buy the underlying stock at a predetermined price (strike price) by a
predetermined date (expiration, which is usually the third Friday of a month). The expiration
can be as soon as next month or as distant as two and a half years away. If the call buyer decides
to buy the stock an act known as exercising the option the call writer is obliged to sell his
shares to the call buyer at the strike price.

If a call is the right to buy, then a put is the option to sell the underlying stock at a predetermined
strike price until the expiration date. The put buyer has the right to sell shares at the strike price,
and if he decides to sell, the put writer is obliged to buy at that price.

Call

Put

Buyer (Long)

Right to buy stock

Right to sell stock

Seller (Short)*

Obligation to sell stock

Obligation to buy stock

* Note: Because an option is a derivative contract, it can be sold without owning it first.
A call buyer makes a profit when the price of the underlying shares rises. The call options price
will normally rise as the shares do, because the right to buy stock at a constant strike price
becomes more valuable if the stock is priced higher. The call writer is making the opposite bet,
hoping for the stock price to decline or, at the very least, not rise above the strike price by more
than the amount he received for selling the call in the first place.

The put buyer profits when the underlying stock price falls. A put increases in value as the
underlying stock decreases in value, because the right to sell stock at a constant strike price
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becomes more valuable if the stock is priced lower. Conversely, a put writer is hoping for the
stock price to rise or, at the very least, not decline below the strike price by more than the
amount he received for selling the put in the first place.

In reality, few retail investors hold options all the way to expiration and actually see their shares
change hands through the exercise process. Options are, after all, tradable securities. As
circumstances change, most investors lock in their profits (or losses) before expiration by selling
options they had previously bought or buying back options they had sold.
In the Money At the money Out the Money
Traders describe options by the relationship of the strike price to the price of the underlying
stock. For calls, if the stock price is above the strike price, the option has intrinsic value,
because it allows you to buy the stock at a better (lower) price than someone who doesnt own
options could buy it on the open market. That makes the option in the money (ITM).

For puts, the reverse is true; the option has intrinsic value if the stock price is below the strike
price, because it allows the holder to sell the stock at a higher price than available on the open
market. If the stock price is equal to the strike price, the option is considered at the money
(ATM), because its on the verge of having intrinsic value.

An option is out of the money (OTM) when it has no intrinsic value. For calls, this occurs when
the strike price is above the stock price, and for puts, this occurs when the strike price is below
the stock price.
The following table illustrates the point with a fictional XYZ stock trading at different prices
in relation to its call and put options at the Rs.75 strike price

XYZ Stock Price

Rs. 70

Rs. 75

Rs. 80

Rs. 75 Call

OTM by Rs. 5

ATM

ITM by Rs. 75

Rs. 75 Put

ITM by Rs. 5

ATM

OTM by Rs. 5

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Option premium
The option premium can be broken down into two components - intrinsic value and time value.
The intrinsic value of a call is the amount the option is ITM, if it is ITM. If the call is OTM, its
intrinsic value is zero. Putting it another way, the intrinsic value of a call is Max[0, (S t K)]
which means the intrinsic value of a call is the greater of 0 or (St K). Similarly, the intrinsic
value of a put is Max[0, K St],i.e. the greater of 0 or (K St). K is the strike price and St is
the spot price.
The time value of an option is the difference between its premium and its intrinsic value. Both
calls and puts have time value. An option that is OTM or ATM has only time value. Usually, the
maximum time value exists when the option is ATM. The longer the time to expiration, the
greater is an option's time value, all else equal. At expiration, an option should have no time
value.
Options Payoff
The optionality characteristic of options results in a non-linear payoff for options. In simple
words, it means that the losses for the buyer of an option are limited; however the profits are
potentially unlimited. For a writer (seller), the payoff is exactly the opposite. His profits are
limited to the option premium; however his losses are potentially unlimited. These non- linear
payoffs are fascinating as they lend themselves to be used to generate various payoffs by using
combinations of options and the underlying.
a) Payoff profile of buyer of asset: Long asset
In this basic position, an investor buys the underlying asset, ABC Ltd. shares for instance, for
Rs. 2220, and sells it at a future date at an unknown price, St. Once it is purchased, the
investor is said to be "long" the asset.
The figure shows the profits/losses from a long position on ABC Ltd. The investor bought
ABC Ltd. at Rs. 2220. If the share price goes up, he profits. If the share price falls he loses.

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b) Payoff profile for seller of asset: Short asset

In this basic position, an investor shorts the underlying asset, ABC Ltd. shares for instance,
for Rs. 2220, and buys it back at a future date at an unknown price, St. Once it is sold, the
investor is said to be "short" the asset.
The figure shows the profits/losses from a short position on ABC Ltd. The investor sold ABC
Ltd. at Rs. 2220. If the share price falls, he profits. If the share price rises, he loses.

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c) Payoff profile for buyer of call options: Long call

A call option gives the buyer the right to buy the underlying asset at the strike price specified
in the option. The profit/loss that the buyer makes on the option depends on the spot price of
the underlying. If upon expiration, the spot price exceeds the strike price, he makes a profit.
Higher the spot price, more is the profit he makes. If the spot price of the underlying is less
than the strike price, he lets his option expire un-exercised. His loss in this case is the
premium he paid for buying the option.
The figure shows the profits/losses for the buyer of a three-month Nifty 2250 call option. As
can be seen, as the spot Nifty rises, the call option is in-the-money. If upon expiration, Nifty
closes above the strike of 2250, the buyer would exercise his option and profit to the extent
of the difference between the Nifty-close and the strike price. The profits possible on this
option are potentially unlimited. However if Nifty falls below the strike of 2250, he lets the
option expire. His losses are limited to the extent of the premium he paid for buying the
option.

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d) Payoff profile for writer (seller) of call options: Short call

A call option gives the buyer the right to buy the underlying asset at the strike price specified
in the option. For selling the option, the writer of the option charges a premium. The
profit/loss that the buyer makes on the option depends on the spot price of the underlying.
Whatever is the buyer's profit is the seller's loss. If upon expiration, the spot price exceeds
the strike price, the buyer will exercise the option on the writer. Hence as the spot price
increases the writer of the option starts making losses. Higher the spot price, more is the loss
he makes. If upon expiration the spot price of the underlying is less than the strike price, the
buyer lets his option expire un-exercised and the writer gets to keep the premium.
The figure shows the profits/losses for the seller of a three-month Nifty 2250 call option. As
the spot Nifty rises, the call option is in-the-money and the writer starts making losses. If
upon expiration, Nifty closes above the strike of 2250, the buyer would exercise his option
on the writer who would suffer a loss to the extent of the difference between the Nifty-close
and the strike price. The loss that can be incurred by the writer of the option is potentially
unlimited, whereas the maximum profit is limited to the extent of the up-front option
premium of Rs.86.60 charged by him.

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e) Payoff profile for buyer of put options: Long put

A put option gives the buyer the right to sell the underlying asset at the strike price specified
in the option. The profit/loss that the buyer makes on the option depends on the spot price of
the underlying. If upon expiration, the spot price is below the strike price, he makes a profit.
Lower the spot price more is the profit he makes. If the spot price of the underlying is higher
than the strike price, he lets his option expire un-exercised. His loss in this case is the
premium he paid for buying the option.
The figure shows the profits/losses for the buyer of a three-month Nifty 2250 put option. As
can be seen, as the spot Nifty falls, the put option is in-the-money. If upon expiration, Nifty
closes below the strike of 2250, the buyer would exercise his option and profit to the extent
of the difference between the strike price and Nifty-close. The profits possible on this option
can be as high as the strike price. However if Nifty rises above the strike of 2250, he lets the
option expire. His losses are limited to the extent of the premium he paid for buying the
option.

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f) Payoff profile for the writer (seller) of put options: Short Put
A put option gives the buyer the right to sell the underlying asset at the strike price specified
in the option. For selling the option, the writer of the option charges a premium. The
profit/loss that the buyer makes on the option depends on the spot price of the underlying.
Whatever is the buyer's profit is the seller's loss. If upon expiration, the spot price happens to
be below the strike price, the buyer will exercise the option on the writer. If upon expiration
the spot price of the underlying is more than the strike price, the buyer lets his option unexercised and the writer gets to keep the premium.
The figure shows the profits/losses for the seller of a three-month Nifty 2250 put option. As
the spot Nifty falls, the put option is in-the-money and the writer starts making losses. If
upon expiration, Nifty closes below the strike of 2250, the buyer would exercise his option
on the writer who would suffer a loss to the extent of the difference between the strike price
and Nifty- close. The loss that can be incurred by the writer of the option is a maximum
extent of the strike price (Since the worst that can happen is that the asset price can fall to
zero) whereas the maximum profit is limited to the extent of the up-front option premium of
Rs.61.70 charged by him.

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Options offer a very wide range of strategies, and each of these strategies has a different
risk/reward profile. People who are unfamiliar with options overlook the potential for more
conservative methods of (a) protecting portfolio positions, (b) spreading and hedging risk, and
(c) generating additional income on your stock holdings.
Option strategies are the simultaneous, and often mixed, buying or selling of one or
more options that differ in one or more of the options' variables. This is often done to gain
exposure to a specific type of opportunity or risk while eliminating other risks as part of a trading
strategy. A very straight forward strategy might simply be the buying or selling of a single
option, however option strategies often refer to a combination of simultaneous buying and or
selling of options. These strategies make options one of the more interesting ways to invest, and
they are especially useful dealing with the challenges of volatile market conditions.
One of the significant advantages of options is their flexibility. When an investor owns a stock,
he makes a profit only if stocks price moves above its current trading range. But options are so
flexible that he can even make a profit if a stock stays within a limited trading range.
Other strategies are designed to create profits if the stock price moves in either direction, such as
long straddles.
Options can also be used to insure your position.
Covered writing is often touted as a safe way to generate extra income from a stock portfolio. It
follows from the purchase of stock and results in immediate income. And it is considered to be as
safe as simply investing in stock.

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Strategy 1: LONG CALL

For aggressive investors who are very bullish about the prospects for a stock / index, buying calls
can be an excellent way to capture the upside potential with limited downside risk.
Buying a call is the most basic of all options strategies. It constitutes the first options trade for
someone already familiar with buying / selling stocks and would now want to trade options.
Buying a call is an easy strategy to understand.
When to Use: Investor is very bullish on the stock / index.
Risk: Limited to the Premium. (Maximum loss if market expires at or below the option strike
price).
Reward: Unlimited
Breakeven: Strike Price + Premium
An investor is bullish on Nifty on 24th June, when the Nifty is at 4191.10. He buys a call option
with a strike price of Rs. 4600 at a premium of Rs. 36.35, expiring on 31st July. If the Nifty goes
above 4636.35, he will make a net profit (after deducting the premium) on exercising the option.
In case the Nifty stays at or falls below 4600, he can forego the option (it will expire worthless)
with a maximum loss of the premium
Strategy : Buy Call Option
Current Nifty Index

4191.10

Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

4600

Mr. XYZ Pays

Premium (Rs.)

36.35

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Strike Price + Premium)

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4636.35

The payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty closes at

Net Payoff from Call Option (Rs.)

4100

-36.35

4300

-36.35

4500

-36.3.5

4636.35

4700

63.65

4900

263.65

5100

463.65

5300

663.65

The payoff chart (Long Call)

Profit

Strike Price

Loss

ANALYSIS: This strategy limits the downside risk to the extent of premium paid by Mr. XYZ
(Rs. 36.35). But the potential return is unlimited in case of rise in Nifty. A long call option is the
simplest way to benefit if investor believes that the market will make an upward move and is the
most common choice among first time investors in Options. As the stock price / index rise the
long call moves into profit more and more quickly.

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Case Study: Sun Pharma (November 27, 2014)

According to the past performance and technical analysis done by the investor, he is quite
confident that the stock will rise in the near future. From June to November the stock is
increased to nearly about 50%. Investor does not have necessary funds to own the stock.
Currently the share is traded at Rs. 843
Option Solution: Buy a Call.
He bought the call at the stike price of Rs.860 at a premium of Rs. 27 per call with expiration of
December 24, 2014. It means that investor will buy the stock only if the stock price reaches to
Rs.860 during the expiration date. Otherwise he will not exercise the call option and his loss will
be limited to Rs. 27.
How it played:
At the December expiration, the stock closes at Rs. 900, investor will exercise his call take at the
strike price of Rs. 860 and sell in the market at price Rs. 865 and secures a profit Rs.13
excluding premium paid.

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Strategy 2: SHORT CALL

When an investor is very bearish about a stock / index and expects the prices to fall, he can sell
Call options. This position offers limited profit potential and the possibility of large losses on big
advances in underlying prices. Although easy to execute it is a risky strategy since the seller of
the Call is exposed to unlimited risk.
A Call option means an Option to buy. Buying a Call option means an investor expects the
underlying price of a stock / index to rise in future. Selling a Call option is just the opposite of
buying a Call option. Here the seller of the option feels the underlying price of a stock / index is
set to fall in the future.
When to use: Investor is very aggressive and he is very bearish about the stock / index.
Risk: Unlimited
Reward: Limited to the amount of premium
Break-even Point: Strike Price + Premium

Mr. XYZ is bearish about Nifty and expects it to fall. He sells a Call option with a strike price of
Rs. 2600 at a premium of Rs. 154, when the current Nifty is at 2694. If the Nifty stays at 2600 or
below, the Call option will not be exercised by the buyer of the Call and Mr. XYZ can retain the
entire premium of Rs. 154.
Strategy : Sell Call Option
Current Nifty Index

2694

Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

2600

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium (Rs.)

154

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Strike Price + Premium)*

2754

* Breakeven Point is from the point of Call Option Buyer.

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The payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty closes at

Net Payoff from Call Option (Rs.)

2400

154

2500

154

2600

154

2700

154

2754

2800

-46

2900

-146

3000

-246

The payoff chart (Short Call)

Profit

Strike Price

Loss

ANALYSIS: This strategy is used when an investor is very aggressive and has a strong
expectation of a price fall. This is a risky strategy since as the stock price / index rises, the short
call loses money more and more quickly and losses can be significant if the stock price / index
fall below the strike price. Since the investor does not own the underlying stock that he is
shorting this strategy is also called Short Naked Call.

24 | P a g e

Strategy 3: SYNTHETIC LONG CALL: BUY STOCK, BUY PUT

In this strategy, an investor purchases a stock since he feel bullish about it but what if the price of
the stock went down. Investor wishes to have some insurance against the price fall. So buy a Put
on the stock. This gives him the right to sell the stock at a certain price which is the strike price.
The strike price can be the price at which the stock (ATM strike price) is bought or slightly
below (OTM strike price).
In case the price of the stock rises he will get the full benefit of the price rise. In case the price of
the stock falls, exercise the Put Option. This way the investor has capped loss in this manner
because the Put option stops his further losses. It is a strategy with a limited loss and (after
subtracting the Put premium) unlimited profit (from the stock price rise). The result of this
strategy looks like a Call Option Buy strategy and therefore is called a Synthetic Call.
But the strategy is not Buy Call Option. Here investor has taken an exposure to an underlying
stock with the aim of holding it and reaping the benefits of price rise, dividends, bonus rights etc.
and at the same time insuring against an adverse price movement.
In simple buying of a Call Option, there is no underlying position in the stock but is entered into
only to take advantage of price movement in the underlying stock.
When to use: When ownership is desired of stock yet investor is concerned about near-term
downside risk. The outlook is conservatively bullish.
Risk: Losses limited to Stock price + Put Premium Put Strike price

Reward: Profit potential is unlimited.

Break-even Point: Put Premium + Stock Price

25 | P a g e

Suppose Mr. XYZ is bullish about ABC Ltd stock. He buys ABC Ltd. at current market price of
Rs. 4000 on 4th July. To protect against fall in the price of ABC Ltd. (his risk), he buys an ABC
Ltd. Put option with a strike price Rs. 3900 (OTM) at a premium of Rs. 143.80 expiring on 31st
July
Strategy : Buy Stock + Buy Put Option
Buy Stock (Mr. XYZ pays)

Current Market Price of ABC Ltd. (Rs.)

4000

Buy Put (Mr. XYZ pays)

Strike Price (Rs.)

3900

Premium (Rs.)

143.80

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Put Premium +

4143.80

Stock Price)

ABC Ltd. is trading at Rs. 4000 on 4th July.

Buy 100 shares of the Stock at Rs. 4000
Buy 100 July Put Options with a Strike Price of Rs. 3900 at a premium of Rs. 143.80 per put.

Net Debit (payout)

Stock Bought + Premium Paid

Rs. 4000 + Rs. 143.80
Rs. 4, 14,380/-

Maximum Loss

Stock Price + Put Premium Put Strike

Rs. 4000 + Rs. 143.80 Rs. 3900
Rs. 24,380

Maximum Gain Unlimited (as the stock rises)

Breakeven

Put Premium + Stock Price

Rs. 143.80 + Rs. 4000 = Rs. 4143.80

26 | P a g e

The Payoff scheduleABC Ltd. closes at

Payoff from the

Net Payoff from the

Net Payoff (Rs.)

(Rs.) on expiry

Stock (Rs.)

Put Option (Rs.)

3400.00

-600.00

356.20

-243.80

3600.00

-400.00

156.20

-243.80

3800.00

-200.00

-43.80

-243.80

4000.00

0.00

-143.80

-143.80

4143.00

143.80

-143.80

0.00

4200.00

200.00

-143.80

56.20

4400.00

400.00

-143.80

256.20

4600.00

600.00

-143.80

456.20

4800.00

800.00

-143.80

656.20

The payoff chart (Synthetic Long Call)

Profit

Profit

Profit

Stock Price

Loss
Buy Stock

Stock Price

Loss

Stock Price

Loss
Buy Put

Synthetic Long Call

ANALYSIS: This is a low risk strategy. This is a strategy which limits the loss in case of fall in
market but the potential profit remains unlimited when the stock price rises. A good strategy is
when an investor buys a stock for medium or long term, with the aim of protecting any downside
risk. The pay-off resembles a Call Option buy and is therefore called as Synthetic Long Call.

27 | P a g e

Case Study: WellCare Health Plans (Oct.2, 2007)

An investor bought 500 shares of WellCare Health Plans (NYSE: WCG) for $41 in January 2006
and have watched it appreciate to $110. He still like the stocks prospects, but worried about the
short-term outlook and dont want to give back substantial profits of $69 per share ($110-$41). A
traditional stock solution might be to set a stop-loss order at $100 in the hopes of limiting your loss
to $10 per share, but he remains vulnerable to a sudden move that could cause the stock to open
one day far lower than where it closed the day before. Instead, the investor can use options to avoid
the risk of such a gap down and guarantee that your maximum loss will be limited to the cost of
your option protection.
Option Solution: Buy a Put.
With the stock trading at $110, complete protection requires that you buy a put with an equivalent
strike price, which will allow you to sell the stock at $110 and thus guard you from loss if the
stock falls below $110. Consequently, you decide to buy five March 2008 puts (each put contract
represents 100 shares) at the $110 strike price, for $10.75 per share ($1,075 per contract). That put
insurance costs you 9.8% of your stock price for a little less than six months of protection, or 1.6%
per month. Buying the put limits your loss on the stock position to the cost of the insurance, or
$10.75 per share, regardless of how far the stock price falls. If the stock falls to $100 at expiration,
investor will lose $10 per share on stock position. But hell also gain $10 per share on your put
position having the ability to sell the stock for $110 when its on the market for $100. That
means investor is fully protected, except for the initial cost of the insurance. On the upside,
breakeven point is the current stock price plus the cost of the put, or $110+$10.75=$120.75. If the
stock rises above $120.75, his gains in the stock position will have recouped the cost of the
insurance.

28 | P a g e

Strategy 4: LONG PUT

When an investor is bearish, he can buy a Put option. A Put Option gives the buyer of the Put a
right to sell the stock (to the Put seller) at a pre-specified price and thereby limit his risk.
A long Put is a Bearish strategy. To take advantage of a falling market an investor can buy Put
options.
When to use: Investor is bearish about the stock / index.
Risk: Limited to the amount of Premium paid. (Maximum loss if stock / index expires at or
above the option strike price).
Reward: Unlimited
Break-even Point: Stock Price - Premium

Mr. XYZ is bearish on Nifty on 24th June, when the Nifty is at 2694. He buys a Put option with
a strike price Rs. 2600 at a premium of Rs. 52, expiring on 31st July. If the Nifty goes below
2548, Mr. XYZ will make a profit on exercising the option. In case the Nifty rises above 2600,
he can forego the option (it will expire worthless) with a maximum loss of the premium.
Strategy : Buy Put Option

Put Option

Current Nifty Index

2694

Strike Price (Rs.)

2600

Premium (Rs.)
Mr. XYZ pays

29 | P a g e

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Strike Price- premium)

52
2548

The payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty closes at

Net Payoff from Put Option (Rs.)

2300

248

2400

148

2500

48

2548

2600

-52

2700

-52

2800

-52

2900

-52

The payoff chart (Long Put)

Profit

Stock Price

Loss

ANALYSIS: A bearish investor can profit from declining stock price by buying Puts. He limits
his risk to the amount of premium paid but his profit potential remains unlimited. This is one of
the widely used strategies when an investor is bearish.

30 | P a g e

Strategy 5: SHORT PUT

An investor buys Put when he is bearish on a stock. An investor Sells Put when he is Bullish
about the stock expects the stock price to rise or stay sideways at the minimum. When an
investor sells a Put, he earns a Premium (from the buyer of the Put). If the stock price increases
beyond the strike price, the short put position will make a profit for the seller by the amount of
the premium, since the buyer will not exercise the Put option and the Put seller can retain the
Premium (which is his maximum profit). But, if the stock price decreases below the strike price,
by more than the amount of the premium, the Put seller will lose money. The potential loss is
unlimited.
When to Use: Investor is very Bullish on the stock / index. The main idea is to make a short
term income.
Risk: Put Strike Price Put Premium.
Reward: Limited to the amount of Premium received.
Breakeven: Put Strike Price - Premium
Mr. XYZ is bullish on Nifty when it is at 4191.10. He sells a Put option with a strike price of Rs.
4100 at a premium of Rs. 170.50 expiring on 31st July. If the Nifty index stays above 4100, he
will gain the amount of premium as the Put buyer wont exercise his option. In case the Nifty
falls below 4100, Put buyer will exercise the option and the Mr. XYZ will start losing money. If
the Nifty falls below 3929.50, which is the breakeven point, Mr. XYZ will lose the premium and
more depending on the extent of the fall in Nifty.
Strategy: Sell Put Option
Current Nifty index

4191.1

Put Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

4100

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium (Rs.)

170.5

Break Even Point(Rs.) (Strike Price - Premium)

3929.5

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The payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty closes at

Net Payoff from Put Option (Rs.)

3400.00

-529.50

3500.00

-429.50

3700.00

-229.50

3900.00

-29.50

3929.50

0.00

4100.00

170.50

4300.00

170.50

4500.00

170.50

The payoff chart (Short Put)

Profit

Stock Price

Loss

ANALYSIS: Selling Puts can lead to regular income in a rising or range bound markets. But it
should be done carefully since the potential losses can be significant in case the price of the stock
/ index falls. This strategy can be considered as an income generating strategy

32 | P a g e

Other Side of Short Put

Case Study: Infosys (Nov. 27, 2014)
Suppose an investor has a strong confidence in Infosys earning and Vishal Sikka. Consequently,
he wants to invest in Infosys (NSE: INFY), but investor is worried that the economic slowdown
will hurt retailers and want to get into the stock only at a bargain price. The current price of
Rs.4366 isnt cheap enough hed feel more comfortable buying at Rs.4300. He could just
place a limit order at Rs.4300, but theres a better way.
Option Solution: Sell a Put.
He decides to sell five January Rs.4300 puts for Rs. 425 per share. In essence, investor is acting
as an insurer of Rs.4300 stock price, and someone is willing to pay him Rs. 425 to guarantee that
price. This means that if the stock falls below Rs.4300 at expiration, hell be required to purchase
the shares at Rs.4300. His net purchase price would be Rs.3875 (Rs.4300 for the shares minus
Rs.425 you receive from the option), which is even cheaper than he had hoped for.
How it played out: At the January expiration, the stock closes at Rs.4280. In a traditional
strategy, his limit order hits, and he buy the 500 shares at Rs.4300 each, so he has an immediate
loss of Rs.10000 (Rs.20 per share), or 0.4%. With an options strategy, the buyer exercises your
five short puts, and he buys 500 shares at Rs.4300. Since he received Rs.425 per share for selling
the puts, you immediately have a net profit of Rs.202500 (Rs.425 options income Rs.20 stock
loss = Rs.405 per share), or 9.41%.

33 | P a g e

Strategy 6: COVERED CALL

The covered call is a strategy in which an investor Sells a Call option on a stock he owns (netting
him a premium). The Call Option which is sold in usually an OTM Call. The Call would not get
exercised unless the stock price increases above the strike price. Till then the investor in the
stock (Call seller) can retain the Premium with him. This becomes his income from the stock.
This strategy is usually adopted by a stock owner who is Neutral to moderately Bullish about the
stock.
An investor buys a stock or owns a stock which he feel is good for medium to long term but is
neutral or bearish for the near term. At the same time, the investor does not mind exiting the
stock at a certain price (target price). The investor can sell a Call Option at the strike price at
which he would be fine exiting the stock (OTM strike). By selling the Call Option the investor
earns a Premium. Now the position of the investor is that of a Call Seller who owns the
underlying stock. If the stock price stays at or below the strike price, the Call Buyer will not
exercise the Call. The Premium is retained by the investor.
In case the stock price goes above the strike price, the Call buyer who has the right to buy the
stock at the strike price will exercise the Call option. The Call seller (the investor) who has to
sell the stock to the Call buyer will sell the stock at the strike price. This was the price which the
Call seller (the investor) was anyway interested in exiting the stock and now exits at that price.
So besides the strike price which was the target price for selling the stock, the Call seller
(investor) also earns the Premium which becomes an additional gain for him. This strategy is
called as a Covered Call strategy because the Call sold is backed by a stock owned by the Call
Seller (investor). The income increases as the stock rises, but gets capped after the stock reaches
the strike price. Let us see an example to understand the Covered Call strategy.

34 | P a g e

When to Use: This is often employed when an investor has a short-term neutral to moderately
bullish view on the stock he holds. He takes a short position on the Call option to generate
income from the option premium.
Since the stock is purchased simultaneously with writing (selling) the Call, the strategy is
commonly referred to as buy-write.
Risk: If the Stock Price falls to zero, the investor loses the entire value of the Stock but
retains the premium, since the Call will not be exercised against him. So maximum risk =
Stock Price Paid Call Premium
Upside capped at the Strike price plus the Premium received. So if the Stock rises beyond the
Strike price the investor (Call seller) gives up all the gains on the stock.
Reward: Limited to (Call Strike Price Stock Price paid) + Premium received
Breakeven: Stock Price paid - Premium Received

Mr. A bought XYZ Ltd. For Rs. 3850 and simultaneously sells a call option at an strike price of
Rs. 4000 which means Mr. A does not think that the price of XYZ Ltd. will rise above Rs. 4000.
However, in case it rises above Rs. 4000, Mr. A does not mind getting exercised at that price and
exiting the stock at Rs.4000 (TARGET SELL PRICE = 3.90% return on the stock purchase
price) . Mr. A receives a premium of Rs.80 for selling the call. Thus, net outflow to Mr. A is (Rs.
3850 Rs.80) = Rs.3770. he reduces the cost of buying the stock by this strategy.
If the stock price stays at or below Rs. 4000, the Call Option will not get exercised and Mr. A
can retain the Rs. 80 premium, which is an extra income.
If the stock price goes above Rs.4000, the Call option will get exercised by the Call buyer. The
entire position will work like this:

35 | P a g e

Strategy : buy Stock + Sell Call Option

Mr. A buys the Stock XYZ
Ltd.

Market Price (Rs.)

3850

Call Options

Strike Price (Rs.

4000

Mr. A receives

Premium (Rs.)

80

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Stock Price paid Premium Received)

3770

1. The price of XYZ Ltd. stays at or below Rs. 4000. The Call buyer will not exercise the
Call Option. Mr. A will keep the premium of Rs. 80. This is an income for him. So if the
stock has moved from Rs. 3850 (purchase price) to Rs. 3950, Mr. A makes Rs. 180/[Rs. 3950 Rs. 3850 + Rs. 80 (Premium)] = An additional Rs. 80, because of the Call
sold.

2. Suppose the price of XYZ Ltd. moves to Rs. 4100, then the Call Buyer will exercise the
Call Option and Mr. A will have to pay him Rs. 100 (loss on exercise of the Call
Option). What would Mr. A do and what will be his pay off?

Sell the Stock in the market at

: Rs. 4100

Pay Rs. 100 to the Call Options buyer

: - Rs. 100

Pay Off (a b) received

: Rs. 4000
(This was Mr. As target price)

Premium received on Selling Call Option

: Rs. 80

Net payment (c + d) received by Mr. A

: Rs. 4080

Purchase price of XYZ Ltd.

Net profit

Return (%)

: Rs. 3850
: Rs. 4080 Rs. 3850 = Rs. 230
:

(which is more than the target return of 3.90%)

36 | P a g e

The payoff schedule

XYZ Ltd. Price closes at (RS.)

Net Payoff (Rs.)

3600

-170

3700

-70

3740

-30

3770

3800

30

3900

130

4000

230

4200

230

4300

230

The payoff chart (Covered Call)

Profit

Profit

Stock Price

Stock Price

Loss

Loss

Buy Stock

Sell Call

37 | P a g e

Profit

Stock Price

Loss
Covered Call

Case study: Hindustan Unilever (November 11, 2014).

Investor is a longtime holder of 100 shares of HUL (NSE: HINDUNILVR) and are relieved that
the stock has recovered from its Mar13 low of Rs. 439 to its current price of Rs.768. With the
stock up more than 40% in six months, he doesnt expect much more upside in the short term, yet
he thinks the stock wont go down much, either, since its a bastion of blue-chip safety. He wants
to supplement his monthly income as the stock stagnates.
Option Solution: Sell Covered Calls.
Since the investor will think to sell HUL to upside but fear that upside wont occur. The closest
strike price to the stocks current price of Rs.768 is the Rs.770 strike. He decides to sell a
December 2014 call with Rs.770 strike price for Rs.31 per share. By selling that strike, he cap his
potential additional gain in the stock to Rs.33 (the Rs.2 gain up to the strike price plus the Rs.31 he
received for selling the call), which is 4.3% from the current price of Rs. 768. The short call is
covered because he already owns the stock.
Warning: A short call that is not covered a naked short is extremely dangerous, because
your losses would be theoretically unlimited if the stock skyrocketed upward. For example, if you
were to sell the HUL at Rs. 770 call naked for Rs. 33 and the stock ran up to Rs. 830 at expiration,
he would be on the hook for a Rs. 27 loss (Rs. 830- Rs. 770 Rs. 33), because he would be
obligated to buy the stock in the open market for Rs. 830 and then sell it for Rs. 770 to the call
owner.
How it played Out: At the December expiration, HUL had fallen to Rs. 732, so selling the call
was definitely better than doing nothing. It reduced your paper loss by Rs. 31, but he still has a net
loss of Rs. 5 (Rs. 768 Rs. 732 Rs. 31). With the stock now below Rs. 768 and the February Rs.
770 call expiring worthless.

38 | P a g e

Strategy 7: LONG COMBO: SELL A PUT, BUY A CALL

A Long Combo is a Bullish strategy. If an investor is expecting the price of a stock to move up
he can do a Long Combo strategy. It involves selling an OTM (lower strike) Put and buying an
OTM (higher strike) Call. This strategy simulates the action of buying a stock (or a futures) but
at a fraction of the stock price. It is an inexpensive trade, similar in pay-off to Long Stock, except
there is a gap between the strikes.

When to Use: Investor is Bullish on the stock.

Risk: Unlimited (Lower Strike + net debit)
Reward: Unlimited
Breakeven: Higher strike + net debit

A stock ABC Ltd. is trading at Rs. 450. Mr. XYZ is bullish on the stock but does not want to
invest Rs. 450. He does a Long Combo. He sells a Put option with a strike price Rs. 400 at a
premium of Rs. 1.00 and buys a Call Option with a strike price of Rs. 500 at a premium of Rs. 2.
The net cost of the strategy (net debit) is Rs. 1.
Strategy : Sell a Put + Buy a Call
ABC Ltd.

Current Market Price (Rs.)

450

Sells Put

Strike Price (Rs.)

400

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium (Rs.)

Buys Call

Strike Price (Rs.)

500

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium (Rs.)

Net Debit (Rs.)

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Higher Strike + Net Debit)

39 | P a g e

501

The payoff schedule

ABC Ltd. closes

Net Payoff from the Put

Net Payoff from the

at (Rs.)

sold (Rs.)

Call purchased (Rs.)

700.00

1.00

198.00

199.00

650.00

1.00

148.00

149.00

600.00

1.00

98.00

99.00

550.00

1.00

48.00

49.00

501.00

1.00

-1.00

0.00

500.00

1.00

-2.00

-1.00

450.00

1.00

-2.00

-1.00

400.00

1.00

-2.00

-1.00

350.00

-49.00

-2.00

-51.00

300.00

-99.00

-2.00

-101.00

250.00

-149.00

-2.00

-151.00

Net Payoff (Rs.)

The Payoff Chart (Long Combo)

Profit

Profit

Profit

=
Stock Price

Loss

Loss

Stock Price

Loss

For a small investment of Re. 1 (net debit), the returns can be very high in a Long Combo, but
only if the stock moves up. Otherwise the potential losses can also be high.

40 | P a g e

Strategy 8: PROTECTIVE CALL/SYNTHETIC LONG PUT

This is a strategy wherein an investor has gone short on a stock and buys a call to hedge. This is
an opposite of Synthetic Call. An investor shorts a stock and buys an ATM or slightly OTM Call.
The net effect of this is that the investor creates a pay-off like a Long Put, but instead of having a
net debit (paying premium) for a Long Put, he creates a net credit (receives money on shorting
the stock). In case the stock price falls, the investor gains in the downward fall in the price.
However, in case there is an unexpected rise in the price of the stock the loss is limited. The payoff from the Long Call will increase thereby compensating for the loss in value of the short stock
position. This strategy hedges the upside in the stock position while retaining downside profit
potential.
When to Use: If the investor is of the view that the markets will go down (bearish) but wants
to protect against any unexpected rise in the price of the stock.

Risk: Limited. Maximum Risk is Call Strike Price Stock Price + Premium
Reward: Maximum is Stock Price Call Premium
Breakeven: Stock Price Call Premium

Suppose ABC Ltd. is trading at Rs. 4457 in June. An investor Mr. A buys a Rs 4500 call for Rs.
100 while shorting the stock at Rs. 4457. The net credit to the investor is Rs. 4357 (Rs. 4457
Rs. 100).
Strategy : Short Stock + Buy Call Option
Sell Stock (Mr. A receives)

Current Market Price (Rs.)

4457

Buy Call

Strike Price (Rs.)

4500

Premium (Rs.)
Mr. A pays

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Stock Price

- Call Premium)

41 | P a g e

4357

The payoff schedule

ABC Ltd. Closes at

Payoff from the stock

Net Payoff from the

(Rs.)

(Rs.)

Call Option (Rs.)

4100

357

-100

257

4150

307

-100

207

4200

257

-100

157

4300

157

-100

57

4350

107

-100

4357

100

-100

4400

57

-100

-43

4457

-100

-100

4600

-143

-143

4700

-243

100

-143

4800

-343

200

-143

4900

-443

300

-143

5000

-543

400

-143

Net Payoff (Rs.)

The payoff chart (Synthetic Long Put)

Profit

Profit

SP

Loss
Sell Stock

42 | P a g e

Profit

SP

Loss
Buy Call

SP

Loss
Synthetic Long Put

Strategy 9: COVERED PUT

This strategy is opposite to a Covered Call. A Covered Call is a neutral to bullish strategy,
whereas a Covered Put is a neutral to Bearish strategy. Investor can do this strategy when he
feels the price of a stock / index is going to remain range bound or move down. Covered Put
writing involves a short in a stock / index along with a short Put on the options on the stock /
index.
The Put that is sold is generally an OTM Put. The investor shorts a stock because he is bearish
about it, but does not mind buying it back once the price reaches (falls to) a target price. This
target price is the price at which the investor shorts the Put (Put strike price). Selling a Put
means, buying the stock at the strike price if exercised. If the stock falls below the Put strike, the
investor will be exercised and will have to buy the stock at the strike price (which is anyway his
target price to repurchase the stock). The investor makes a profit because he has shorted the
stock and purchasing it at the strike price simply closes the short stock position at a profit. And
the investor keeps the Premium on the Put sold. The investor is covered here because he shorted
the stock in the first place.
If the stock price does not change, the investor gets to keep the Premium. He can use this
strategy as an income in a neutral market.
When to Use: If the investor is of the view that the markets are moderately bearish.
Risk: Unlimited if the price of the stock rises substantially
Reward: Maximum is (Sale Price of the Stock Strike Price) + Put Premium
Breakeven: Sale Price of Stock + Put Premium

Suppose ABC Ltd. is trading at Rs 4500 in June. An investor, Mr. A, shorts Rs 4300 Put by
selling a July Put for Rs. 24 while shorting an ABC Ltd. stock. The net credit received by Mr. A
is Rs. 4500 + Rs. 24 = Rs. 4524.

43 | P a g e

Strategy : Short Stock + Short Put Option

Sell Stock (Mr. A receives) Current Market Price (Rs.)

4500

Sell Put

4300

Strike Price (Rs.)

Premium (Rs.)

Mr. A receives

24

Break Even Point (Rs.) (Sale Price of

4524

Stock + Put Premium)

The payoff schedule

ABC Ltd. Closes
at (Rs.)

Payoff from the stock (Rs.)

Net Payoff from the

Net Payoff

Put Option (Rs.)

(Rs.)

4300

200

24

224

4400

100

24

124

4450

50

24

74

4500

24

24

4524

-24

24

4550

-50

24

-26

4600

-100

24

-76

4635

-135

24

-111

4650

-150

24

-126

The payoff chart (Covered Call)

Profit

Profit

Profit

SP

Loss
Sell Stock
44 | P a g e

Stock Price

Loss

Stock Price

Loss
Sell Put

Covered Put

Strategy 10: LONG STRADDLE

A Straddle is a volatility strategy and is used when the stock price / index is expected to show
large movements. This strategy involves buying a call as well as put on the same stock / index
for the same maturity and strike price, to take advantage of a movement in either direction, a
soaring or plummeting value of the stock / index. If the price of the stock / index increases, the
call is exercised while the put expires worthless and if the price of the stock / index decreases,
the put is exercised, the call expires worthless. Either way if the stock / index shows volatility to
cover the cost of the trade, profits are to be made. With Straddles, the investor is direction
neutral. All that he is looking out for is the stock / index to break out exponentially in either
direction.
When to Use: The investor thinks that the underlying stock / index will experience
significant volatility in the near term.
Risk: Limited to the initial premium paid.
Reward: Unlimited
Breakeven:

Upper Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Long Call + Net Premium Paid

Lower Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Long Put - Net Premium Paid

Suppose Nifty is at 4450 on 27th April. An investor, Mr. A enters a long straddle by buying a
May Rs 4500 Nifty Put for Rs. 85 and a May Rs. 4500 Nifty Call for Rs. 122. The net debit
taken to enter the trade is Rs 207, which is also his maximum possible loss.
Strategy : Buy Put + Buy Call
Nifty Index

Current Value (Rs.)

4450

Call and Put

Strike Price (Rs.)

4500

Mr. A receives

Total Premium (Call + Put) (Rs.)

207

Breakeven Point (Rs.)

45 | P a g e

4707 (U)
4293 (L)

The Payoff schedule

Net Payoff from Put

Net Payoff from

Option

Call Option

(Rs.)

(Rs.)

4000

415

-122

293

4100

315

-122

193

4200

215

-122

93

4234

181

-122

59

4300

115

-122

-7

4400

15

-122

-107

4500

-85

-122

-207

4600

-85

-22

-107

4700

-85

78

-7

4707

-85

85

4766

-85

144

59

4800

-85

178

93

4900

-85

278

193

5000

-85

378

293

5100

-85

478

393

On expiry Nifty
closes at

Net Payoff
(Rs.)

The Payoff chart

Profit

Profit

Stock Price

SP
+

Loss

46 | P a g e

SP
=

Loss
Buy Put

Profit

Buy Call

Loss
Long Straddle

Case study: Amgen (Oct. 2, 2006)

Amgen (NasdaqGS: AMGN) will report earnings in a few weeks, and investor think the stock is
poised for a big move, either in anticipation of the news or in reaction to the news itself but
not sure whether that move will be positive or negative. Buying the stock is too risky, because
the news could be bad. Shorting the stock is also too risky, because the news could be good.
Options can help.
Option Solution: Buy a Straddle (buy a call and a put at the same strike price).
If investor expect that stock is about to move explosively but dont know in which direction, then
straddling the fence playing both sides is a good strategy. He can buy a call and put
simultaneously at the same strike price.
If the stock goes up, the call gains value (the put loses value), and if the stock goes down, the put
gains value (the call loses value). Heres the kicker options gain value faster than they lose
value, so the net effect of a stock price move is an increase in the value of a straddle. But
straddles suffer from one powerful negative attribute: time decay.
Whenever an option is bought, investor is subjected to time decay, and since a straddle involves
being long two options at the same time, he is doubly vulnerable. That time value doesnt decay
at a consistent rate but accelerates in the last two months before expiration. That means you
shouldnt hold a straddle all the way until expiration but plan to exit six to eight weeks before
expiration. Ultimately, only enter a straddle if two conditions exist: (1) the stocks options are
priced relatively cheaply, and (2) a near- term catalyst promises to make the stock price move
soon.
Step 1: Cheap Options
When option traders speak of an option being expensive or cheap, theyre referring to the
options implied volatility, not to the perceived fair value of the underlying stock. Implied
volatility is the degree to which the market expects the stock to move at some point over the
upcoming 12 months. The more the stock price is expected to move above or below its fair
value, the higher the implied volatility of its options and thus the greater the time value and
the more expensive the options will be. The simplest way to gauge whether an option is cheap is
47 | P a g e

to look for an implied volatility close to a 52-week low and fortunately, the all-about-options
website www.ivolatility.com does the work for you. In example, Amgen options have an implied
volatility of 20.25%, very near their 52-week low of 19.74%.
Step 2: Near Term Catalyst
The best time to start a straddle position is three to five weeks before the event when stock is
expected to move. This will allow investor to get in at a cheap implied volatility before the
market starts to anticipate the event. In the Amgen example, the earnings report is three weeks
away on Oct. 23, so our straddle looks good to go.
With Amgen trading at $70.45, investor decides to use the closest strike price, $70. For the
expiration, he selects January, which is about two months after the catalyst of the October
earnings release. Options time decay accelerates in the last two months before expiration, so by
choosing the January expiration, he ensures this straddle trade is low-risk. Hell close out the
trade Oct. 23 or 24, which is right before the options start to suffer serious time decay.
He could pick an expiration that was even further out than January, but those options would be
more expensive. That would reduce your potential profit but wouldnt provide much more
protection from time decay. Picking the expiration month two months after the expected
explosive event is the sweet spot for a straddle trade. He buys one Amgen January $70 call for
$4.50 and one January $70 put for $1.95. Buying them both costs $6.45. If the investor were to
wait until expiration, this trade would only be profitable if the stock were to close above $76.45
($70+$6.45) or below $63.55 ($70-$6.45), a 9.2% move.
A volatile biotech could certainly move more than 9%, but its no sure thing. Thats why a riskaverse straddle trader almost never holds a position all the way until expiration. By exiting two
months before expiration, he can avoid the time decay, take advantage of the options rising time
value and profit from a much smaller move in the stock. And if the stock did move explosively,
all the better!
How it played Out: Within two weeks, the market began to anticipate Amgens earnings, and
implied volatility began to rise. On Oct. 13, the stock has risen to $73.22. The $70 call has
increased in value by $1.35 to $5.85, while the $70 put has decreased in value by $0.35 to $1.60
48 | P a g e

 see how the winning call option gains more than the losing put option gives back? That makes
the straddle worth $7.45 ($5.85+$1.60), and investor decide to sell it for a 15.5% profit.
Sometimes the investor doesnt have to wait for the earnings report to make money. Often, the
mere increased expectation of a stocks explosive move is enough to cause options time value to
rise and make the straddle gain value. Straddles profit potential may be lower than the other
option strategies in this report, but the time decay risks make it important to take profits quickly.
A straddle trade succeeds either from an increase in time value or from an explosive move, so it
makes you money whether the stock moves up or down.

49 | P a g e

Strategy 11: SHORT STRADDLE

A Short Straddle is the opposite of Long Straddle. It is a strategy to be adopted when the investor
feels the market will not show much movement. He sells a Call and a Put on the same stock /
index for the same maturity and strike price. It creates a net income for the investor. If the stock
/ index do not move much in either direction, the investor retains the Premium as neither the Call
nor the Put will be exercised. However, in case the stock / index moves in either direction, up or
down significantly, the investors losses can be significant. So this is a risky strategy and should
be carefully adopted and only when the expected volatility in the market is limited. If the stock /
index value stays close to the strike price on expiry of the contracts, maximum gain, which is the
Premium received is made.
When to Use: The investor thinks that the underlying stock / index will experience very little
volatility in the near term.
Risk: Unlimited
Reward: Limited to the premium received
Breakeven:

Upper Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Short Call + Net Premium Received

Lower Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Short Put - Net Premium Received

Suppose Nifty is at 4450 on 27th April. An investor, Mr. A, enters into a short straddle by selling
a May Rs 4500 Nifty Put for Rs. 85 and a May Rs. 4500 Nifty Call for Rs. 122. The net credit
received is Rs. 207, which is also his maximum possible profit.
Strategy : Sell Put + Sell Call
Nifty Index

Current Value

4450

Call and Put

Strike price (Rs.)

4500

Mr. A receives

Total Premium (Call + Put) (Rs.)

207

Breakeven Point (Rs.)

50 | P a g e

4707 (U)
4293 (L)

The Payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty

Net Payoff from Put

Net Payoff from Call

Net Payoff

closes at

Sold (Rs.)

Sold (Rs.)

(Rs.)

3800

-615

122

-493

3900

-515

122

-393

4000

-415

122

-293

4100

-315

122

-193

4200

-215

122

-93

4234

-181

122

-59

4293

-122

122

4300

-115

122

4400

-15

122

107

4500

85

122

207

4600

85

22

107

4700

85

-78

4707

85

-85

4766

85

-144

-59

4800

85

-178

-93

4900

85

-278

-193

5000

85

-378

-293

The Payoff chart (Short Straddle)

Profit

Profit

SP

Profit

SP
+

Loss

Loss
Sell Put

51 | P a g e

SP

Sell Call

Loss
Short Straddle

Strategy 12: LONG STRANGLE

A Strangle is a slight modification to the Straddle to make it cheaper to execute. This strategy
involves the simultaneous buying of a slightly out-of-the-money (OTM) put and a slightly outof-the-money (OTM) call of the same underlying stock / index and expiration date. Here again
the investor is directional neutral but is looking for an increased volatility in the stock / index and
the prices moving significantly in either direction. Since OTM options are purchased for both
Calls and Puts it makes the cost of executing a Strangle cheaper as compared to a Straddle,
where generally ATM strikes are purchased. Since the initial cost of a Strangle is cheaper than a
Straddle, the returns could potentially be higher. However, for a Strangle to make money, it
would require greater movement on the upside or downside for the stock / index than it would
for a Straddle. As with a Straddle, the strategy has a limited downside (i.e. the Call and the Put
premium) and unlimited upside potential.

When to Use: The investor thinks that the underlying stock / index will experience very high
levels of volatility in the near term.
Risk: Limited to the initial premium paid
Reward: Unlimited
Breakeven:

Upper Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Long Call + Net Premium Paid

Lower Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Long Put - Net Premium Paid

Suppose Nifty is at 4500 in May. An investor, Mr. A, executes a Long Strangle by buying a Rs.
4300 Nifty Put for a premium of Rs. 23 and a Rs 4700 Nifty Call for Rs 43. The net debit taken
to enter the trade is Rs. 66, which is also his maxi mum possible loss.

52 | P a g e

Strategy : Buy OTM Put + Buy OTM Call

Nifty index

Current Value

4500

Buy Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

4700

Mr. A pays

Premium (Rs.)

43

Break Even Point (Rs.)

4766

Buy Put Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

4300

Mr. A pays

Premium (Rs.)

23

Break Even Point (Rs.)

4234

The Payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty

Net Payoff from Put

Net Payoff from Call

closes at

Sold (Rs.)

Sold (Rs.)

3800

-523

-43

-566

3900

-423

-43

-466

4000

-323

-43

-366

4100

-223

-43

-266

4200

-123

-43

-166

4234

-89

-43

-132

4300

-23

-43

-66

4400

-23

-43

-66

4500

-23

-43

-66

4600

-23

-43

-66

4700

-23

-43

-66

4766

-23

23

4800

-23

57

34

4900

-23

157

134

5000

-23

257

234

5100

-23

357

334

5200

-23

457

434

53 | P a g e

Net Payoff (Rs.)

The Payoff chart (Long Strangle)

Profit

Profit

Stock Price

Profit

SP

Loss

Loss

Buy OTM Put

Buy OTM Call

54 | P a g e

SP

Loss
Long Strangle

Strategy 13: SHORT STRANGLE

A Short Strangle is a slight modification to the Short Straddle. It tries to improve the profitability
of the trade for the Seller of the options by widening the breakeven points so that there is a much
greater movement required in the underlying stock / index, for the Call and Put option to be
worth exercising. This strategy involves the simultaneous selling of a slightly out-of-the-money
(OTM) put and a slightly out-of-the-money (OTM) call of the same underlying stock and
expiration date. This typically means that since OTM call and put are sold, the net credit received
by the seller is less as compared to a Short Straddle, but the break even points are also widened.
The underlying stock has to move significantly for the Call and the Put to be worth exercising. If
the underlying stock does not show much of a movement, the seller of the Strangle gets to keep
the Premium.

When to Use: This options trading strategy is taken when the options investor thinks that the
underlying stock will experience little volatility in the near term.
Risk: Unlimited
Reward: Limited to the premium received
Breakeven:

Upper Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Short Call + Net Premium Received

Lower Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Short Put - Net Premium Received

Suppose Nifty is at 4500 in May. An investor, Mr. A, executes a Short Strangle by selling a Rs.
4300 Nifty Put for a premium of Rs. 23 and a Rs. 4700 Nifty Call for Rs 43. The net credit is Rs.
66, which is also his maximum possible gain.
Strategy : Sell OTM Put + Sell OTM Call
Nifty index

Current Value

4500

Sell Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

4700

55 | P a g e

Premium (Rs.)

Mr. A receives

43

Break Even Pount (Rs.)

4766

Sell Put Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

4300

Mr. A receives

Premium (Rs.)

23

Break Even Pount (Rs.)

4234

The payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty

Net Payoff from Put

Net Payoff from Call

closes at

Sold (Rs.)

Sold (Rs.)

3800

-477

43

-434

3900

-377

43

-334

4000

-277

43

-234

4100

-177

43

-134

4200

-77

43

-34

4234

-43

43

4293

16

43

59

4300

23

43

66

4400

23

43

66

4500

23

43

66

4600

23

43

66

4700

23

43

66

4766

23

-23

4800

23

-57

-34

4900

23

-157

-134

5000

23

-257

-234

5100

23

-357

-334

5200

23

-457

-434

5300

23

-557

-534

56 | P a g e

Net Payoff (Rs.)

The payoff chart (Short Strangle)

Profit

Profit

SP

Loss
Sell OTM Put

57 | P a g e

Profit

SP

Loss

SP

Loss
Sell OTM Call

Short Strangle

Strategy 14: COLLAR

A Collar is similar to Covered Call (Strategy 6) but involves another leg buying a Put to insure
against the fall in the price of the stock. It is a Covered Call with a limited risk. So a Collar is
buying a stock, insuring against the downside by buying a Put and then financing (partly) the Put
by selling a Call.
The put generally is ATM and the call is OTM having the same expiration month and must be
equal in number of shares. This is a low risk strategy since the Put prevents downside risk.
However, do not expect unlimited rewards since the Call prevents that. It is a strategy to be
adopted when the investor is conservatively bullish.

When to Use: The collar is a good strategy to use if the investor is writing covered calls to
earn premiums but wishes to protect himself from an unexpected sharp drop in the price of
the underlying security.
Risk: Limited
Reward: Limited
Breakeven: Purchase Price of Underlying Call Premium + Put Premium
Suppose an investor Mr. A buys or is holding ABC Ltd. currently trading at Rs. 4758. He
decides to establish a collar by writing a Call of strike price Rs. 5000 for Rs. 39 while
simultaneously purchasing a Rs. 4700 strike price Put for Rs. 27.
Since he pays Rs. 4758 for the stock ABC Ltd., another Rs. 27 for the Put but receives Rs. 39 for
selling the Call option, his total investment is Rs. 4746.

58 | P a g e

Strategy : Buy Stock + Buy Put + Sell Call

ABC Ltd.

Current Market Price (Rs.)

4758

Sell Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

5000

Mr. A receives

Premium (Rs.)

Buy Put Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Mr. A pays

Premium (Rs.)
Break Even point (Rs.)

39
4700
27
4746

1) If the price of ABC Ltd. rises to Rs. 5100 after a month, then,
a) Mr. A will sell the stock at Rs. 5100 earning him a profit of Rs. 342 (Rs. 5100
Rs. 4758)
b) Mr. A will get exercised on the Call he sold and will have to pay Rs. 100.
c) The Put will expire worthless.
d) Net premium received for the Collar is Rs. 12
e) Adding (a + b + d) = Rs. 342 -100 + 12 = Rs. 254
This is the maximum return on the Collar Strategy.
However, unlike a Covered Call, the downside risk here is also limited:
2) If the price of ABC Ltd. falls to Rs. 4400 after a month, then,
a) Mr. A loses Rs. 358 on the stock ABC Ltd.
b) The Call expires worthless
c) The Put can be exercised by Mr. A and he will earn Rs. 300
d) Net premium received for the Collar is Rs. 12
e) Adding (a + b + d) = - Rs. 358 + 300 +12 = - Rs. 46
This is the maximum the investor can loose on the Collar Strategy.
The Upside in this case is much more than the downside risk.

59 | P a g e

The payoff schedule

ABC Ltd.

Payoff from

Payoff from Put

Payoff from

closes at (Rs.)

Call Sold (Rs.)

Purchased (Rs.)

stock ABC Ltd.

4400

39

273

-358

-46

4450

39

223

-308

-46

4500

39

173

-258

-46

4600

39

73

-158

-46

4700

39

-27

-58

-46

4750

39

-27

-8

4800

39

-27

42

54

4850

39

-27

92

104

4858

39

-27

100

112

4900

39

-27

142

154

4948

39

-27

190

202

5000

39

-27

242

254

5050

-11

-27

292

254

5100

-61

-27

342

254

5150

-111

-27

392

254

5200

-161

-27

442

254

5248

-209

-27

490

254

5250

-211

-27

492

254

5300

-261

-27

542

254

60 | P a g e

Net payoff (Rs.)

Strategy 15: BUY CALL SPREAD STRATEGY: BUY CALL OPTION,

SELL CALL OPTION
A bull call spread is constructed by buying an in-the-money (ITM) call option, and selling
another out-of-the-money (OTM) call option. Often the call with the lower strike price will be inthe-money while the Call with the higher strike price is out-of-the-money. Both calls must have
the same underlying security and expiration month.
The net effect of the strategy is to bring down the cost and breakeven on a Buy Call (Long Call)
Strategy. This strategy is exercised when investor is moderately bullish to bullish, because the
investor will make a profit only when the stock price / index rise. If the stock price falls to the
lower (bought) strike, the investor makes the maximum loss (cost of the trade) and if the stock
price rises to the higher (sold) strike, the investor makes the maximum profit.
When to Use: Investor is moderately bullish.
Risk: Limited to any initial premium paid in establishing the position. Maximum loss occurs
where the underlying falls to the level of the lower strike or below.
Reward: Limited to the difference between the two strikes minus net premium cost.
Maximum profit occurs where the underlying rises to the level of the higher strike or above
Break-Even-Point (BEP): Strike Price of Purchased call + Net Debit Paid

Mr. XYZ buys a Nifty Call with a Strike price Rs. 4100 at a premium of Rs. 170.45 and he sells
a Nifty Call option with a strike price Rs. 4400 at a premium of Rs. 35.40. The net debit here is
Rs. 135.05 which is also his maximum loss.

61 | P a g e

Strategy : Buy a Call with a lower strike (ITM) + Sell a Call with a higher Strike (OTM)
Nifty index

Current Value

4191.1

Buy ITM Call option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Mr. XYZ Pays

Premium (Rs.)

Sell OTM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

4400

Mr. XYZ Receives

Premium (Rs.)

35.4

4100
170.45

Net Premium Paid (Rs.)

135.05

Break Even Point (Rs.)

4235.05

The Payoff Schedule:

On expiry Nifty

Net Payoff from Call

Net Payoff from Call

closes at

Buy

Sold (Rs.)

3500

-170.45

35.4

-135.05

3600

-170.45

35.4

-135.05

3700

-170.45

35.4

-135.05

3800

-170.45

35.4

-135.05

3900

-170.45

35.4

-135.05

4000

-170.45

35.4

-135.05

4100

-170.45

35.4

-135.05

4200

-70.45

35.4

-35.05

4235.05

-35.4

35.4

4300

29.55

35.4

64.95

4400

129.55

35.4

164.95

4500

229.55

-64.6

164.95

4600

329.55

-164.6

164.95

4700

429.55

-264.6

164.95

4800

529.55

-364.6

164.95

4900

629.55

-464.6

164.95

5000

729.55

-564.6

164.95

62 | P a g e

Net Payoff (Rs.)

5100

829.55

-664.6

164.95

5200

929.55

-764.6

164.95

The Payoff chart (Bull Call spread)

Profit

Profit

SP +

Loss
Buy Lower strike Call

Profit

SP

Loss

SP

Loss
Sell OTM Call

Bull call Spread

The Bull Call Spread Strategy has brought the breakeven point down (if only the Rs. 4100 strike
price Call was purchased the breakeven point would have been Rs. 4270.45), reduced the cost of
the trade (if only the Rs. 4100 strike price Call was purchased the cost of the trade would have
been Rs. 170.45), reduced the loss on the trade (if only the Rs. 4150 strike price Call was
purchased the loss would have been Rs. 170.45 i.e. the premium of the Call purchased).
However, the strategy also has limited gains and is therefore ideal when markets are moderately
bullish.

63 | P a g e

Strategy 16: BULL PUT SPREAD STRATEGY: SELL PUT OPTION, BUY
PUT OPTION
A bull put spread can be profitable when the stock / index is either range bound or rising. The
concept is to protect the downside of a Put sold by buying a lower strike Put, which acts as
insurance for the Put sold. The lower strike Put purchased is further OTM than the higher strike
Put sold ensuring that the investor receives a net credit, because the Put purchased (further OTM)
is cheaper than the Put sold. This strategy is equivalent to the Bull Call Spread but is done to
earn a net credit (premium) and collect an income.
If the stock / index rise, both Puts expire worthless and the investor can retain the Premium. If
the stock / index falls, then the investors breakeven is the higher strike less the net credit
received. Provided the stock remains above that level, the investor makes a profit. Otherwise he
could make a loss. The maximum loss is the difference in strikes less the net credit received.
This strategy should be adopted when the stock / index trend is upward or range bound.
When to Use: When the investor is moderately bullish.
Risk: Limited. Maximum loss occurs where the underlying falls to the level of the lower strike
or below
Reward: Limited to the net premium credit. Maximum profit occurs where underlying rises to
the level of the higher strike or above.
Breakeven: Strike Price of Short Put - Net Premium Received

Mr. XYZ sells a Nifty Put option with a strike price of Rs. 4000 at a premium of Rs. 21.45 and
buys a further OTM Nifty Put option with a strike price Rs. 3800 at a premium of Rs. 3.00 when
the current Nifty is at 4191.10, with both options expiring on 31st July.

64 | P a g e

On expiry Nifty

Net Payoff from Put

Net Payoff from

closes at

Buy

Put Sold (Rs.)

3500

297

-478.55

-181.55

3600

197

-378.55

-181.55

3700

97

-278.55

-181.55

3800

-3

-178.55

-181.55

3900

-3

-78.55

-81.55

3981.55

-3

4000

-3

21.45

18.45

4100

-3

21.45

18.45

4200

-3

21.45

18.45

4300

-3

21.45

18.45

4400

-3

21.45

18.45

4500

-3

21.45

18.45

4600

-3

21.45

18.45

4700

-3

21.45

18.45

4800

-3

21.45

18.45

Net Payoff (Rs.)

The strategy earns a net income for the investor as well as limits the downside risk of a Put sold.
The payoff chart (Bull Put Spread)
Profit

Profit

SP

Loss

Profit

SP

Loss
Buy Lower Strike Put

65 | P a g e

SP

Loss
Sell OTM Put

Bull Put Spread

Strategy 17: BEAR CALL SPREAD STRATEGY: SELL ITM CALL, BUY
OTM CALL
The Bear Call Spread strategy can be adopted when the investor feels that the stock / index is
either range bound or falling. The concept is to protect the downside of a Call Sold by buying a
Call of a higher strike price to insure the Call sold. In this strategy the investor receives a net
credit because the Call he buys is of a higher strike price than the Call sold. The strategy requires
the investor to buy out-of-the-money (OTM) call options while simultaneously selling in-themoney (ITM) call options on the same underlying stock index. This strategy can also be done
with both OTM calls with the Call purchased being higher OTM strike than the Call sold. If the
stock / index falls both Calls will expire worthless and the investor can retain the net credit. If the
stock / index rises then the breakeven is the lower strike plus the net credit. Provided the stock
remains below that level, the investor makes a profit. Otherwise he could make a loss. The
maximum loss is the difference in strikes less the net credit received.

When to use: When the investor is mildly bearish on market.

Risk: Limited to the difference between the two strikes minus the net premium.
Reward: Limited to the net premium received for the position i.e., premium received for the
short call minus the premium paid for the long call.
Break Even Point: Lower Strike + Net credit

Mr. XYZ is bearish on Nifty. He sells an ITM call option with strike price of Rs. 2600 at a
premium of Rs. 154 and buys an OTM call option with strike price Rs. 2800 at a premium of Rs.
49.

66 | P a g e

Strategy : Sell a Call with a lower strike (ITM) + Buy a Call with a higher strike (OTM)
Nifty index

Current Value

2694

Sell ITM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

2600

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium (Rs.)

154

Buy OTM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

2800

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium (Rs.)

49

Net premium received (Rs.)

105

Break even Point (Rs.)

2705

The payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty

Payoff from Call Sold

Payoff from Call

Payoff from

closes at

(Rs.)

Purchased (Rs.)

stock ABC Ltd.

2100

154

-49

105

2200

154

-49

105

2300

154

-49

105

2400

154

-49

105

2500

154

-49

105

2600

154

-49

105

2700

54

-49

2705

49

-49

2800

-46

-49

-95

2900

-146

51

-95

3000

-246

151

-95

3100

-346

251

-95

3200

-446

351

-95

3300

-546

451

-95

67 | P a g e

The strategy earns a net income for the investor as well as limits the downside risk of a Call sold.

The payoff chart (Bear Call Spread)

Profit

Profit

SP

Loss
Sell lower strike call

Profit

SP

Loss

SP

Loss
Buy OTM Call

Bear Call spread

ANALYSIS: The break-even is attained when nifty reaches to Rs. 2705 (i.e. lower strike price of
call + Net credit of premium). This strategy works when investor presumes that market is either
range bound or bearish. Thus, he sell the call at the strike price of Rs. 2600 assuming market will
not show bullish trends and the call sold remain unexercised but being conservative, he insured
his position by buying a call at the price of Rs. 2800. Profit is limited to Rs. 105 and loss is
limted to Rs. 95. The strategy earns a net income for the investor as well as limits the downside
risk of a Call sold.

68 | P a g e

Case study: Ambuja Cement (23rd April, 2014)

An investor read that Ambuja Cement (NSE: Ambuja Cement) will go well in the near future so he
decides to buy 100 shares at Rs. 218. Bad timing! On May 7, stock falling below Rs. 195 on May 7.
He wants to at least break even on his poorly timed trade, but he dont want to average down and
possibly throw good money after bad.
Option Solution: Buy a 1:2 Ratio Call Spread.
The June Rs. 210 call is selling for Rs. 13, and the June Rs. 220 call is selling for Rs. 10.50. If he
buys one Rs. 210 call and sells two Rs. 13 calls, his out-of-pocket cost is zero. Yet he has created
the potential to make Rs. 10 per share (the difference between the Rs. 220 and Rs. 210 strike
prices) if the stock rises to Rs. 220 by the June expiration. Since he already owns the stock, one of
the Rs. 220 calls he sells is covered by the stock. The other Rs. 220 call you sell is covered by the
Rs. 210 call you buy (creating a call spread).
The call spread is the turbocharged part of the trade and provides the opportunity to make back
your investment losses quickly. A call spread is cheaper than a straight long call, but in return it
caps your gain. The lower cost basis makes the capped gain a high-return proposition nevertheless.
In our example, the cost of the call spread is Rs. 2.50 per share (Rs. 13 Rs. 10.50), with the
chance to make Rs. 10.
How it played Out: At the June expiration, stock has climbed back to Rs. 223, still below your
purchase price. However, his long May Rs. 210 call is worth Rs. 13 (Rs. 223 Rs. 210), and his
two short July Rs. 220 calls cost Rs. 3 each (Rs. 223- Rs. 220), so your net profit, including the
stock loss, is Rs. 7 per share.

69 | P a g e

Strategy 18: BEAR PUT SPREAD STRATEGY: BUY PUT, SELL PUT
This strategy requires the investor to buy an in-the-money (higher) put option and sell an out-ofthe-money (lower) put option on the same stock with the same expiration date. This strategy
creates a net debit for the investor. The net effect of the strategy is to bring down the cost and
raise the breakeven on buying a Put (Long Put). The strategy needs a Bearish outlook since the
investor will make money only when the stock price / index falls. The bought Puts will have the
effect of capping the investors downside. While the Puts sold will reduce the investors costs,
risk and raise breakeven point (from Put exercise point of view). If the stock price closes below
the out-of-the-money (lower) put option strike price on the expiration date, then the investor
reaches maximum profits. If the stock price increases above the in-the-money (higher) put option
strike price at the expiration date, then the investor has a maximum loss potential of the net debit.

When to use: When you are moderately bearish on market direction

Risk: Limited to the net amount paid for the spread. i.e. the premium paid for long position
less premium received for short position.
Reward: Limited to the difference between the two strike prices minus the net premium paid
for the position.
Break Even Point: Strike Price of Long Put - Net Premium Paid
Nifty is presently at 2694. Mr. XYZ expects Nifty to fall. He buys one Nifty ITM Put with a
strike price Rs. 2800 at a premium of Rs. 132 and sells one Nifty OTM Put with strike price Rs.
2600 at a premium Rs. 52.

70 | P a g e

Strategy : BUY A PUT with a higher strike (ITM) + SELL A PUT with a lower strike
(OTM)
Nifty index

Current Value

2694

Buy ITM Put Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

2800

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium (Rs.)

132

Sell OTM Put Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

2600

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium (Rs.)

52

Net premium received (Rs.)

80

Break-even Point (Rs.)

2720

The payoff schedule

On expiry Nifty

Net Payoff from Put Buy

Net Payoff from Put

closes at

(Rs.)

Sold (Rs.)

2200

468

-348

120

2300

368

-248

120

2400

268

-148

120

2500

168

-48

120

2600

68

52

120

2720

-52

52

2700

-32

52

20

2800

-132

52

-80

2900

-132

52

-80

3000

-132

52

-80

3100

-132

52

-80

71 | P a g e

Net Payoff (Rs.)

The payoff chart (Bear Put Spread)

Profit

Profit

Stock Price

Loss

Profit

Stock Price

Loss

SP

Loss

ANALYSIS: The Bear Put Spread Strategy has raised the breakeven point (if only the Rs.
2800 strike price Put was purchased the breakeven point would have been Rs. 2668), reduced the
cost of the trade (if only the Rs. 2800 strike price Put was purchased the cost of the trade would
have been Rs. 132), reduced the loss on the trade (if only the Rs. 2800 strike price Put was
purchased the loss would have been Rs. 132 i.e. the premium of the Put purchased). However,
the strategy also has limited gains and is therefore ideal when markets are moderately bearish.

72 | P a g e

Strategy 19: LONG CALL BUTTERFLY: SELL 2 ATM CALL OPTIONS,

BUY 1 ITM CALL OPTION AND BUY 1 OTM CALL OPTION
A Long Call Butterfly is to be adopted when the investor is expecting very little movement in the
stock price / index. The investor is looking to gain from low volatility at a low cost. The strategy
offers a good risk / reward ratio, together with low cost. A long butterfly is similar to a Short
Straddle except your losses are limited. The strategy can be done by selling 2 ATM Calls, buying
1 ITM Call, and buying 1 OTM Call options (there should be equidistance between the strike
prices). The result is positive incase the stock / index remains range bound. The maximum
reward in this strategy is however restricted and takes place when the stock / index is at the
middle strike at expiration. The maximum losses are also limited.

When to use: When the investor is neutral on market direction and bearish on volatility.

Risk: Net debit paid.

Reward: Difference between adjacent strikes minus net debit
Break Even Point:

Upper Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Higher Strike Long Call - Net Premium Paid

Lower Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Lower Strike Long Call + Net Premium Paid

Nifty is at 3200. Mr. XYZ expects very little movement in Nifty. He sells 2 ATM Nifty Call
Options with a strike price of Rs. 3200 at a premium of Rs. 97.90 each, buys 1 ITM Nifty Call
Option with a strike price of Rs. 3100 at a premium of Rs. 141.55 and buys 1 OTM Nifty Call
Option with a strike price of Rs. 3300 at a premium of Rs. 64. The Net debit is Rs. 9.75.

73 | P a g e

Strategy : Sell 2 ATM Call, Buy 1 ITM Call Option and Buy 1 OTM Call Option
Nifty index

Current value

3200

Sell 2 ATM

Strike Price (Rs.)

3200

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium

195.8

Buy 1 ITM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

3100

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium

Buy 1 ITM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium

141.55
3300
64

Break Even Point (Rs.)

3290.25

Break Even Point (Lower) (Rs.)

3109.75

The payoff schedule

On expiry

Net Payoff from 2

Net Payoff from 1

Net Payoff from

Nifty Closes

ATM Calls Sold

ITM Call

1 OTM Call

at

(Rs.)

purchased (Rs.)

purchased (Rs.)

2700

195.8

-141.55

-64

-9.75

2800

195.8

-141.55

-64

-9.75

2900

195.8

-141.55

-64

-9.75

3000

195.8

-141.55

-64

-9.75

3100

195.8

-141.55

-64

-9.75

3109.75

195.8

-131.8

-64

3200

195.8

-41.55

-64

90.25

3290.25

15.3

48.7

-64

3300

-4.2

58.45

-64

-9.75

3400

-204.2

158.45

36

-9.75

3500

-404.2

258.45

136

-9.75

3600

-604.2

358.45

236

-9.75

3700

-804.2

458.45

336

-9.75

74 | P a g e

Net Payoff
(Rs.)

3800

-1004.2

558.45

436

-9.75

3900

-1204.2

658.45

536

-9.75

ANALYSIS: Two at the money Calls are sold at strike price of Rs. 3200 and receives premium
of Rs. 195.80, bought one Call at Rs. 3100 and oother call at Rs. 3300. This strategy is applied
by investr only when market does not show the signs of volatility and limits the losses to Rs.
9.75 and maximum profit is Rs. 90.25.

75 | P a g e

Strategy 20: SHORT CALL BUTTERFLY: BUY 2 ATM CALL OPTIONS,

SELL 1 ITM CALL OPTION AND SELL 1 OTM CALL OPTION.
A Short Call Butterfly is a strategy for volatile markets. It is the opposite of Long Call Butterfly,
which is a range bound strategy. The Short Call Butterfly can be constructed by Selling one
lower striking in-the-money Call, buying two at-the-money Calls and selling another higher
strike out-of-the-money Call, giving the investor a net credit (therefore it is an income strategy).
There should be equal distance between each strike. The resulting position will be profitable in
case there is a big move in the stock / index. The maximum risk occurs if the stock / index is at
the middle strike at expiration. The maximum profit occurs if the stock finishes on either side of
the upper and lower strike prices at expiration. However, this strategy offers very small returns
when compared to straddles, strangles with only slightly less risk.

When to use: You are neutral on market direction and bullish on volatility. Neutral means
that you expect the market to move in either direction - i.e. bullish and bearish.
Risk Limited to the net difference between the adjacent strikes (Rs. 100 in this example) less
the premium received for the position.
Reward: Limited to the net premium received for the option spread.
Break Even Point:

Upper Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Highest Strike Short Call - Net Premium
Received

Lower Breakeven Point = Strike Price of Lowest Strike Short Call + Net Premium
Received

Nifty is at 3200. Mr. XYZ expects large volatility in the Nifty irrespective of which direction the
movement is, upwards or downwards. Mr. XYZ buys 2 ATM Nifty Call Options with a strike
price of Rs. 3200 at a premium of Rs. 97.90 each, sells 1 ITM Nifty Call Option with a strike

76 | P a g e

price of Rs. 3100 at a premium of Rs. 141.55 and sells 1 OTM Nifty Call Option with a strike
price of Rs. 3300 at a premium of Rs. 64. The Net Credit is Rs. 9.75.
Strategy : Buy 2 ATM Call Option, Sell 1 ITM Call Option and Buy 1 OTM Call Option
Nifty index

Current value

3200

Buy 2 ATM Call Options

Strike Price (Rs.)

3200

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium

195.8

Sell 1 ITM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

3100

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium

Sell 1 OTM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium

141.55
3300
64

Break Even Point (Rs.)

3290.25

Break Even Point (Lower) (Rs.)

3109.75

The payoff schedule

Net Payoff from

Net Payoff from 1

Net Payoff

2 ATM Calls

ITM Call sold

from 1 OTM

Purchased (Rs.)

(Rs.)

Call sold (Rs.)

2700.00

-195.80

141.55

64.00

9.75

2800.00

-195.80

141.55

64.00

9.75

2900.00

-195.80

141.55

64.00

9.75

3000.00

-195.80

141.55

64.00

9.75

3100.00

-195.80

141.55

64.00

9.75

3109.75

-195.80

131.80

64.00

0.00

3200.00

-195.80

41.55

64.00

-90.25

3290.25

-15.30

-48.70

64.00

0.00

3300.00

4.20

-58.45

64.00

9.75

.3400.00

204.20

-158.45

-36.00

9.75

3500.00

404.20

-258.45

-136.00

9.75

On expiry
Nifty Closes at

77 | P a g e

Net Payoff
(Rs.)

3600.00

604.20

-358.45

-236.00

9.75

3700.00

804.20

-458.45

-336.00

9.75

3800.00

1004.20

-558.45

-436.00

9.75

3900.00

1204.20

-658.45

-536.00

9.75

ANALYSIS: The strategy is for volatile market where the profit is when stock finishes on
either side of the upper and lower strike prices at expiration. In this, the profit is Rs. 9.75 and
loss is Rs. 90.

78 | P a g e

Strategy 21: LONG CALL CONDOR: BUY 1 ITM CALL OPTION

(LOWER STRIKE), SELL 1 ITM CALL OPTION (LOWER MIDDLE),
SELL 1 OTM CALL OPTION (HIGHER MIDDLE), and BUY 1 OTM
CALL OPTION (HIGHER STRIKE)
A Long Call Condor is very similar to a long butterfly strategy. The difference is that the two
middle sold options have different strikes. The profitable area of the payoff profile is wider than
that of the Long Butterfly (see pay-off diagram).
The strategy is suitable in a range bound market. The Long Call Condor involves buying 1 ITM
Call (lower strike), selling 1 ITM Call (lower middle), selling 1 OTM call (higher middle) and
buying 1 OTM Call (higher strike). The long options at the outside strikes ensure that the risk is
capped on both the sides. The resulting position is profitable if the stock / index remains range
bound and shows very little volatility. The maximum profits occur if the stock finishes between
the middle strike prices at expiration.

When to Use: When an investor believes that the underlying market will trade in a range with
low volatility until the options expire.
Risk: Limited to the minimum of the difference between the lower strike call spread less the
higher call spread less the total premium paid for the condor.

Reward Limited: The maximum profit of a long condor will be realized when the stock is
trading between the two middle strike prices.
Break Even Point:

Upper Breakeven Point = Highest Strike Net Debit

Lower Breakeven Point = Lowest Strike + Net Debit

79 | P a g e

Suppose Nifty is at 3600. Mr. XYZ expects little volatility in the Nifty and expects the market to
remain rangebound. Mr. XYZ buys 1 ITM Nifty Call Options with a strike price of Rs. 3400 at a
premium of Rs. 41.25, sells 1 ITM Nifty Call Option with a strike price of Rs. 3500 at a
premium of Rs. 26, sells 1 OTM Nifty Call Option with a strike price of Rs. 3700 at a premium
of Rs. 9.80 and buys 1 OTM Nifty Call Option with a strike price of Rs. 3800 at a premium of
Rs. 6.00. The Net debit is Rs. 11.45 which is also the maximum possible loss.
Strategy: Buy 1 ITM Call Option (Lower Strike), Sell 1 ITM Call Option (Lower
Middle), Sell 1 OTM Call Option (Higher Middle), Buy 1 OTM Call Option (Higher
Strike)
Nifty index

Current Value

3600

Buy 1 ITM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

3400

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium (Rs.)

41.25

Sell 1 ITM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

3500

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium (Rs.)

Sell 1 OTM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Mr. XYZ receives

Premium (Rs.)

Buy 1 OTM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Mr. XYZ pays

Premium (Rs.)

80 | P a g e

26
3700
9.8
3800
6

Break Even Point (Upper) (Rs.)

3788.55

Break Even Point (Lower) (Rs.)

3411.45

The Payoff schedule

Net
Payoff
from 1
Net Payoff

OTM

On expiry

Net Payoff from

Net Payoff

from 1

Call

Nifty Closes

1 ITM Call

from 1 ITM

OTM Call

purchase

Net Payoff

at

purchased (Rs.)

Call sold (Rs.)

sold (Rs.)

d (Rs.)

(Rs.)

3000

-41.25

26

9.8

-6

-11.45

3100

-41.25

26

9.8

-6

-11.45

3200

-41.25

26

9.8

-6

-11.45

3300

-41.25

26

9.8

-6

-11.45

3400

-41.25

26

9.8

-6

-11.45

3411.45

-29.8

26

9.8

-6

3500

58.75

26

9.8

-6

88.55

3600

158.75

-74

9.8

-6

88.55

3700

258.75

-174

9.8

-6

88.55

3788.55

347.3

-262.55

-78.75

-6

3800

358.75

-274

-90.2

-6

-11.45

3900

458.75

-374

-190.2

94

-11.45

4000

558.75

-474

-290.2

194

-11.45

4100

658.75

-574

-390.2

294

-11.45

4200

758.75

-674

-490.2

394

-11.45

81 | P a g e

ANALYSIS: At 3200, all the options expire worthless, so the initial debit taken of Rs. 11.45 is
the investors maximum loss. At 3800, the long Rs. 3400 call earns Rs. 358.75 (Rs. 3800 Rs.
3400 Rs. 41.25). The two calls sold result in a loss of Rs. 364.20 (The call with strike price of
Rs. 3500 makes a loss of Rs. 274 and the call with strike price of Rs. 3700 makes a loss of Rs.
90.20). Finally, the call purchased with a strike price of Rs. 3800 expires worthless resulting in a
loss of Rs. 6 (the premium). Total loss (Rs. 358.75 Rs. 364.20 Rs. 6) works out to Rs. 11.45.
Thus, the long condor trader still suffers the maximum loss that is equal to the initial debit taken
when entering the trade. If instead on expiration of the contracts, Nifty is still at 3600, the Rs.
3400 strike price call purchased and Rs. 3700 strike price call sold earns money while the Rs.
3500 strike price call sold and Rs. 3800 strike price call sold end in losses.
The Rs. 3400 strike price call purchased earns Rs. 158.75 (Rs. 200 Rs. 41.25). The Rs. 3700
strike price call sold earns the premium of Rs. 9.80 since it expires worthless and does not get
exercised. The Rs. 3500 strike price call sold ends up with a loss of Rs. 74 as the call gets
exercised and the Rs. 3800 strike price call purchased will expire worthless resulting in a loss of
Rs. 6.00 (the premium). The total gain comes to Rs. 88.55 which is also the maximum gain the
investor can make with this strategy.
The maximum profit for the condor trade may be low in relation to other trading strategies but it
has a comparatively wider profit zone. In this example, maximum profit is achieved if the
underlying stock price at expiration is anywhere between Rs. 3500 and Rs. 3700.

82 | P a g e

STRATEGY 22: SHORT CALL CONDO: SHORT 1 ITM CALL OPTION

(LOWER STRIKE), LONG 1 ITM CALL OPTION (LOWER MIDDLE),
LONG 1 OTM CALL OPTION (HIGHER MIDDLE), SHORT 1 OTM CALL
OPTION (HIGHER STRIKE).
A Short Call Condor is very similar to a short butterfly strategy. The difference is that the two
middle bought options have different strikes. The strategy is suitable in a volatile market. The
Short Call Condor involves selling 1 ITM Call (lower strike), buying 1 ITM Call (lower middle),
buying 1 OTM call (higher middle) and selling 1 OTM Call (higher strike). The resulting
position is profitable if the stock / index shows very high volatility and there is a big move in the
stock / index. The maximum profits occur if the stock / index finishes on either side of the upper
or lower strike prices at expiration.

When to Use: When an investor believes that the underlying market will break out of a trading
range but is not sure in which direction.
Risk Limited. The maximum loss of a short condor occurs at the center of the option spread.
Reward Limited. The maximum profit of a short condor occurs when the underlying stock /
index is trading past the upper or lower strike prices.
Break Even Point:

Upper Break-even Point = Highest Strike Net Credit

Lower Break Even Point = Lowest Strike + Net Credit

83 | P a g e

Nifty is at 3600. Mr. XYZ expects high volatility in the Nifty and expects the market to break
open significantly on any side. Mr. XYZ sells 1 ITM Nifty Call Options with a strike price of Rs.
3400 at a premium of Rs. 41.25, buys 1 ITM Nifty Call Option with a strike price of Rs. 3500 at
a premium of Rs. 26, buys 1 OTM Nifty Call Option with a strike price of Rs. 3700 at a premium
of Rs. 9.80 and sells 1 OTM Nifty Call Option with a strike price of Rs. 3800 at a premium of
Rs. 6.00. The Net credit is of Rs. 11.45

Strategy: Short 1 ITM Call Option (Lower Strike), Long 1 ITM Call Option (Lower
Middle), Long 1 OTM Call Option (Higher Middle), Short 1 OTM Call Option (Higher
Strike)
Nifty index

Current Value

3600

Sell 1 ITM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

3400

Premium (Rs.)

41.25

Strike Price (Rs.)

3500

Buy 1 ITM Call Option

Premium (Rs.)
Buy 1 OTM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Premium (Rs.)

Sell 1 OTM Call Option

Strike Price (Rs.)

Premium (Rs.)

84 | P a g e

26
3700
9.8
3800
6

Break Even Point (Upper) (Rs.)

3788.55

Break Even Point (Lower) (Rs.)

3411.45

The Payoff Schedule:

Net Payoff

Net Payoff

from 1 ITM

from 1 OTM

Net Payoff

Net Payoff from

Call

Call

from 1

Net

On expiry Nifty

1TM Call sold

purchases

purchased

OTM Call

Payoff

Closes at

(Rs.)

(Rs.)

(Rs.)

sold (Rs.)

(Rs.)

3000

41.25

-26

-9.8

11.45

3100

41.25

-26

-9.8

11.45

3200

41.25

-26

-9.8

11.45

3300

41.25

-26

-9.8

11.45

3400

41.25

-26

-9.8

11.45

3411.45

29.8

-26

-9.8

3500

-58.75

-26

-9.8

-88.55

3600

-158.75

74

-9.8

-88.55

3700

-258.75

174

-9.8

-88.55

3788.55

-347.3

262.55

78.75

3800

-358.75

274

90.2

11.45

3900

-458.75

374

190.2

-94

11.45

4000

-558.75

474

290.2

-194

11.45

4100

-658.75

574

390.2

-294

11.45

4200

-758.75

674

490.2

-394

11.45

85 | P a g e

ANALYSIS: The losses accurs at between two strike prices i.e. Rs. 3500 and Rs. 3700 and thus
limited to Rs. 88.5. Profit starts when the index is lower than or equals Rs. 3400 or when it is
trading past Rs. 3800.

86 | P a g e