Posts tagged ‘calendar spread’

Calendar Spread: Playing Volatility

Even though the Calendar Spread may be used in numerous stock market environments, they operate the best in low volatility climates. While soaring volatility levels are wonderful for these trades, sinking volatility levels bring them a lot of pain.

Mainly because calendar spreads churn out profit the fastest at neutral to rising volatility levels, some calendar spread traders will wait to make a trade right up until an underlyings volatility either reach the lowest level of their average range, or until they move into the lower third area of their normal volatility range.

By waiting for these lower ranges, the calendar spread trader is increasing his or her odds that the volatility levels will either remain wherever they’re and not go much lower which could wind up hurting the trade, or will start to rise back up which could put their calendar trade into significant earnings pretty swiftly.

Normally volatility levels sink as the market moves upward and rise as the market moves down. This is why many option traders will place calendar spreads when they have a bearish view on the market.

A well-liked technique for income calendar spread traders with a bearish outlook would be to place a calendar spread slightly below where the stock is presently trading at, with the hope that as the stock does start to head down as they anticipated, it will move directly into the center of their calendar position as the volatility soars – quickly pumping a significant gains into their calendar trade.

When using this method with the double calendar spread – it’s possible for the trader to increase their odds even more, as they can set up their calendar spread with a skew that not only creates a sweet spot in the area where the trader believes the underlying will be heading, but also provide profit coverage in a wider area that includes the area where the underlying is currently trading at just in case their belief about market direction turns out to be wrong.

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Calendar Spread – A Must Have Strategy For Every Option Trader

The Calendar Spread is an option income strategy used by professional traders to generate steady monthly income. It can also be used by retail traders who have educated themselves on how to properly use this strategy to not only generate cashflow – but to also benefit their overall portfolio.

The calendar spread performs best and kicks off income due to the nature of the trade. This is a theta trade – an option strategy that takes advantage of options decaying value. As the days tick by heading towards expiration day – the time premium in the options lose their value. This in turn is what creates the profit for the calendar spread trader.

These trades can be built from call options as well as put options. In order to create a calendar spread trade, the option trader sells a near month strike on an underlying vehicle – and then buys a later month at the identical strike. Profit can be made from this trade because what happens over time is that the time premium in the closer month option decays at a much faster speed than the later month option. What is left over at expiration day is the difference of the two – which is what gives the trader profit.

Here’s a sampling of a calendar spread position: Sell 10 April 35 put. Purchase 10 May 35 put.

Now while in the example above the calendar position was created using joined together months, calendar spreads can also be created with a gap between the months.

As a sample, rather than use May 35 puts – one could instead use June 35 puts – or July.

Typically calendar spread traders will utilize this strategy when they believe the underlying vehicle they are trading will stay in a range – or will wind up on expiration day close to or right at strike price which was sold.

When you talk with some option traders, some will tell you they prefer the calendar spread strategy because they believe they are easier to manage than some of the other strategies like the iron condor, credit spread, or the butterfly spread. Regardless, the calendar spread is a great strategy to learn and have ready to use in your ‘option trading toolbox’.

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