What is a short straddle?

A short straddle is a non-directional options trading strategy that involves simultaneously selling a put and a call of the same underlying security, strike price and expiration date. The profit is limited to the premium received from the sale of put and call.

How do straddle options work?

A straddle is achieved by buying both the call and the put for a total of $300: ($2 + $1) x 100 shares per option contract = $300. The straddle will increase in value if the stock moves higher (because of the long call option) or if the stock goes lower (because of the long put option).

What is a straddle trade?

In a straddle trade, the trader can either long (buy) both options (call and put) or short (sell) both options. The result of such a strategy depends on the eventual price movement of the associated stock. The level of price movement, and not the direction of the price, affects the result of a straddle.

What is a covered straddle?

Covered straddles can typically be easily constructed on stocks trading with high volume. A covered straddle also involves standard call and put options which trade on public market exchanges and works by selling a call and a put in the same strike while owning the underlying asset. In effect it is a short straddle while long the underlying.