How to use a bear call spread strategy

How to use a bear call spread strategy
An investor who investigates a bear call spread strategy.

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A bear call spread is an option strategy where you sell a call option at one exercise price and buy another at a higher exercise price for the same shares and expiration date. This approach appears on both potential profit and loss and offers credit in advance. Traders use this method when they expect that the share price will remain below the lower exercise price when it passes, usually in Bearish or stable market conditions. A financial adviser can help you determine how this strategy and other investment strategies can fit into your portfolio.

A bear call spread is an options trade strategy that is used when traders expect a moderate decrease in the price of a share. It can be appropriate if a trader expects a share to remain below a certain level, but does not anticipate a sharp fall.

The spread of bear call is often used in neutral to light bearish market conditions where the aim is to collect premium income instead of profit of a considerable fall in price. Since the strategy benefits from time trap, it can also be useful in markets with low volatility.

This strategy includes selling a call option at a lower exercise price and at the same time buying a different call option with the same expiry date at a higher exercise price. A bear call Spread generates a pre -credit that represents the maximum profit that a trader can earn if the share price remains under the lower exercise price during the expiry date.

The call option has a higher premium because it has a lower exercise price, while the purchased call option costs less because it has a higher exercise price. The difference between the two premiums creates the received net credit.

The best scenario is when the share price below the lower exercise price remains at the expiry and both options expire worthless. This allows the trader to retain the entire credit as a profit.

The maximum profit is limited to the initial credit that is received when opening trade. However, the potential loss is also covered. The maximum loss is equal to the difference between the exercise prices, minus the credit received. It will be realized if the share price above the higher exercise price increases in the passage. The defined risk makes the strategy attractive for traders who want a bearish position with a limited downward risk.

Consider an investor who believes that the shares of company A, which is currently being traded at $ 50, will remain below $ 55 in the coming month. They sell a call option with a exercise price of $ 50 for $ 3 per contract and buy a call option with a exercise price of $ 55 for $ 1 per contract. This results in a net credit of $ 2 per contract, or $ 200 for one standard option contract that represents 100 shares.

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