About Bull Calls
The best bull call strategy is one where you think the price of the underlying stock will go up.
Using a bull call strategy, you buy a call option, and sell the same number of higher striking call options. The calls are for the same underlying stock, expiring in the same month.
- You buy 1 call
- You sell 1 higher strike call
Bear Call, Bull Call, Bear Put and Bull Put Strategies:Â These pages are initially sorted by descending "Break Even Probability."
Options information is delayed a minimum of 15 minutes, and is updated at least once every 15-minutes through-out the day. The strategy is updated every 20 minutes thereafter throughout the day with new option candidates. The screener displays probability calculations based on the delayed stock price at the time the strategy is updated.
Filters
Barchart Premier subscribers can add or modify different filters on the screener to find calls on the most favorable stock options.
Reordering Filters
Once filters are added, you may drag and drop them in the SET FILTERS tab to reorder the way they appear on the RESULTS tab (when using the Filters View). Each filter you add has the "Order" icon which is used to reposition it.
So you can focus on the best options, the screener starts by removing certain options:
- Days to Expiration (monthly expirations only) is 60 days or less.
- Security Type is only Stocks.
- The Options Volume for both legs must be greater than or equal to 500.
- Open Interest for both legs must be greater than or equal to 100.
- Moneyness for Leg 1 is between -25% to 5% (OTM and ATM)
- Break-Even Probability is greater than 25%.
- The Leg 2 Bid Price must be greater than 0.05
In addition:
- The stock price must be greater or equal to 1.00.
- The option must not be an "adjusted" option (the option cannot be based on a split stock).
- If the ask is greater than or equal to $5.00, the spread between the bid and ask must be less than or equal to 10% of the ask
- If the ask is between $2.00 and $5.00, the spread between the bid and ask must be less than or equal to 15% of the ask.
- If the ask is between $1.00 and $2.00, the spread between the bid and ask must be less than or equal to 25% of the ask.
- If the ask is less than $1.00, the spread between the bid and ask must be less than or equal to 50% of the ask.
Note: "Restricted options" (options quotes marked with an asterisk * after the strike price, and found on an individual symbol's options page) are automatically removed from the screener. A "restricted option" is typically created after spin-offs or mergers, and are not tradeable.
Probability Calculation
We take the underlying stock price, the break even point (target price), the days to expiration, and the 52-week historical volatility, and then use those figures in this formula. Depending on the strategy, we use the above or below probability (i.e., the probability the price crosses the break even point).
Pabove = N(d)
Pbelow = 1 - N(d)
where
N(d)= x if d > 0
= (1-x) if d < 0
and
d = 1n(b/l) / v√t,
y = 1/(1 + 0.2316419|d|),
z = 0.3989423e - (d*d)/2,
x = 1 - z(1.330274y⁵ - 1.821256y⁴ + 1.781478y³ - 0.356538y² + 0.3193815y)
and
b = break even point
l = last price
v = 52-week historical volatility
t = days to expiration
e = 2.71828
Views
The Results page contains three standard views. You may switch the view using the links at the top of the screener results table. The Main View shows the Volume and Open Interest for each option, while the Dividend & Earnings View can be used to highlight strategies with upcoming dividends and earnings. The Filter view shows you the data contained in the field(s) you've added to the screener.
Main View
- Stock Symbol - the underlying equity. Clicking on the symbol will take you to the current quote page.
- Last - the delayed stock price at the time the strategy is updated for the underlying equity.
- Max Profit - the potential return of this strategy. Max Profit is: Leg 2 Strike (Short Call) - Leg 1 Strike (Long Call) + Leg 2 Bid (ITM Call) - Leg 1 Ask (OTM Call) [Net Premium Paid]
- Max Profit%Â - the maximum profit, expressed as a percent. Maximum profit is achieved when the price of the underlying stock is greater than or equal to the strike price of the short call.
- Max Loss - the maximum loss that the strategy might return, which is equal to the net premium paid (Leg 1 Ask - Leg 2 Bid). Max loss occurs when the price of the underlying stock is less than or equal to the strike price of the long call.
- Break Even - the price of the underlying stock at which break-even is achieved: (long call strike price + the net premium paid to buy the long call)
- Probability - the probability the last price will be at or beyond the break even point at expiration.
- Exp Date - the expiration date of the option
Depending on the strategy, you will be looking to buy (long) one option, and sell (short) another. The next four columns identify the strike price and bid/ask for each long and short option:
- Leg 1 (Buy) Strike - the price at which the underlying security can be bought if the option is exercised.
- Leg 1 Ask - the premium to purchase this option.
- Leg 2 (Sell) Strike - the price at which the underlying security can be bought if the option is exercised.
- Leg 2 Bid - the premium to sell this option.
Dividend & Earnings View
- Dividend - the dividend the equity pays on the Ex-Dividend Date. On the morning of the Dividend Ex-Date, the stock's price is lowered by the amount of the dividend that was just paid.
- Dividend Ex-Date - the first day on which the stock trades without the dividend. If you wish to receive the dividend, you must own the stock by the close of market on the day before the Dividend Ex-Date. Many times, a covered call is exercised early so the buyer can own the stock and collect the dividend. This typically happens to ITM options the day before the Dividend Ex-Date.
- Earnings Date - The date on which a company is expected to release their next earnings report. The prices are more volatile, which tends to inflate the prices of the near-the-money strikes. During a contract period when there is an earnings report due, the earnings announcement can dramatically shift the range in which the stock has been trading.
