Short Straddle – A simple Option Trading Strategy for Beginners

Short Straddle is a options strategy used in neutral market condition. It is a simple strategy & can be used by beginners aswell.

Know everything about Short Straddle Options Trading Strategy here.

About Short Straddle

The short straddle refers to a smooth and crystal clear strategy that returns you the profit.

It returns you the revenue when the security price does not move in bulk—also, this security price stopover within a particular compact trading range.

Further, it comprises writing at the money put options plus at the money call options for receiving the upfront credit.

It involves such writing options to gain the upfront credit only with the belief that the security price will not move that much far in one or the other direction.

Also, the expectation of security price will not move very far for writing options, costing you money on the whole.

In spite of the straightforwardness of the short straddle, it is right away not suitable and suggested to newcomer traders. It is so because there are unlimited potential losses, and thus, it needs a higher trading level.

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The Key Points

1. There exist two main transactions that involve Write Puts and Write Calls.
2. Not compatible with newcomers.
3. The trading strategy is neutral.
4. Straddle Sale or Sell straddle are the other two names of the short straddle.
5. Credit spread is the acceptance of the upfront credit.
6. The demand for trading level is high.
7. Go for trading strategies out of many.

When Traders must use Short Straddle Strategy?

When you talk about short straddle, it means a relevant strategy when your security has a neutral outlook. It means that people do not rely on the price to either accelerate high or fall tremendously.

Also, it should be used only when you’re extremely positive about the security price. Traders must be confident that the security price will not move essentially in one or the other direction. It is this way because the potential losses occur, then it can be substantial enough.

One will need to have a higher trading level for creating such a spread. Thus, it is not probably possible for traders if they are almost newcomers to these trading options.

Process of using a Short Straddle

In the process of using the short straddle, to establish its spread, it is an easy process. Traders have to use the sale for opening orders.

They need it for writing on suitable underlying security at the money calls. Also, to write on the same security for the identical number of puts.

Moreover, both options’ set must have an exact expiration date that can be as long term or close/near term as traders wish to have.

Further, to write about near-term options, it will imply that there’s less to move for the security considering the price. Also, such options offer you an excellent chance to make a profit.

On the other hand, to write for the long-term implies that there are more space and time to move for the security considering the price, and consequently, there is a higher chance of risks.

Nevertheless, long-term expiration dates are usually expensive. Therefore, tradespeople will make more revenue to write them.

As both write calls and write puts transactions comprised of writing options, you will see no pricing. Also, you will indeed get the upfront credit.

Furthermore, the short straddle in all is a credit spread type. It means that the brokers of yours will need margin from traders, as the credit spread might finally result in costing money to you.

Find out other Neutral Option Trading Strategy here

Example to Witness When and How Traders can use Short Straddle Options Strategy

Let’s see the example where you will witness when and how traders can use the short straddle.

An enterprise name A stock trades at Rs 3695.62, and you keep on relying on that it will continue to trade closer to Rs 3695.62 for a particular period.

When the strike is at Rs 3695.62 at the money calls and traders exchange money at Rs 147.82, they can write one contract out of 100 options having a total credit of Rs 14782.48. So, it is called Leg A.

When the strike is at Rs 3695.62 at the money puts, and traders exchange money at Rs 147.82, traders also write one of these contracts for an additional Rs 14782.48 credit. So, it is called Leg B.

These two transactions, money puts, and money calls combine to have a short straddle set with an overall upfront credit of Rs 29564.96.

Here, there is the use of possible pricing options instead of precise market data. Hence, we have the inclusion of commission pricing for simplicity’s sake.

Potential Losses and Profit

The maximal profit one makes the upfront credit that is Rs 29564.96 credit in the above instance.

Also, to make the utmost profit, traders require both Leg A and Leg B spread for expiring without any value. It will also occur if the price of the underlying security stays at Rs 50 exactly.

Practically, it is incredible, however, still the short straddle return traders a profit offering a stock price that does not move very far for creating a liability in either direction and on either leg that is greater than the overall receiving of credit.

For example, if security rises upto Rs 3917.36, traders will have Rs 221.74 liability for each call written in Leg A with an overall liability of Rs 22173.72. Also, the total credit suns upto Rs 29564.96, and traders will still have profit.

Nonetheless, if the security rises upto Rs 4286.92, traders will have Rs 591.30 liability for each call written in Leg A with an overall liability of 59129.92.

Though the net credit of Rs 29564.96 would counteract a portion of some liabilities, tradesmen will still have a loss of Rs 29564.96.

Also, the limit of potential losses is boundless. The higher or lower the security is, the more security, the higher you will bear a loss.

Find out more relevant Neutral Option Trading Strategy below

Calculation of Potential Losses And Profits

The short straddle’s potential losses and profits are calculated as:

• You can have the utmost profit on a condition where “Strike of Options = Price of Underlying Stock.”
• The utmost gain means the receiving credit that means “(Number of Options Written * Price of Options in Leg B)” + “(Number of Options Written * Price of Options in Leg A).
• There is the existence of two break-even points in a short straddle. One is a lower break-even point, and the other one is the upper break-even point.
• The formula of Lower Break-Even Point says it is “Strike of Leg B – (Price of Options in Leg B + Price of Options in Leg A).”
• Formula of Upper Break-Even Point says it is “Strike of Leg A + (Price of Options in Leg A + Price of Options in Leg B).”
• The concept short strangle strategy when concludes in a loss when Upper Break-Even Point is lesser than the “Price of Underlying Security, or the Lower Break-Even Point is greater than Upper Break-Even Point.”
• The short strangle strategy, when concludes in a profit percentage offering, “Upper Break-Even Point is greater than the Price of Underlying Security & the Lower Break-Even Point is lower than the Upper Break-Even Point.”

Traders can anytime close the position before the expiration date by purchasing back all the writing options.

Further, traders may have the option to choose to go in this direction if the time decay has deteriorated the options price adequately, also if it will return you a satisfactory profit.

Traders wish to cut their losses if the underlying security price moves outside of the “break-even points.”

About Short Strap and Short Strip Straddle

Two variations of short straddle exist as they are worth to consider and they are –

1. The Short Strap Straddle;
2. The Short Strip Straddle.

Short strip straddle involves a greater number of writing outs than the writing calls option.

Traders will use this if they have a neutral outlook. However, traders thought that there was an opportunity that the underlying price of the security could enhance.

Thus, by writing extra puts, the greater break-even point will become much greater. Also, traders will receive increased net credit.

Nevertheless, if the security price goes down, the lower your break-even point is, the more traders will lose money.

The short strap straddle functions in reverse order. Here, traders will use it if they think there’s a fair possibility of underlying security price going even lower.

Traders, when writing further calls, it means that the lower break-even point will be lower. Also, traders would pile up the overall credit acknowledged.

However, traders would have to face higher losses if the security price rises above your higher “break-even point.”

Short Straddle – Final Saying!

Short straddle in all is a simple and straightforward strategy. In addition to this, it requires two very simple transactions.

So, the strategy is significantly a blend of shorts puts and short calls. Also, it gains profit from time decay effects if the security price continues to be approximately stable in any case.

The short straddle is one of the easiest and efficient ways to have profit from the “neutral outlook.” However, the losses you face can be large; therefore, it must be used only if traders possess that extreme confidence.

The confidence should be there that the security price will not have any chance to move in either direction effectively.

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