Ladder (option combination)

Last updated
Simple payoff diagrams of the four types of ladder Ladder payoff diagrams.png
Simple payoff diagrams of the four types of ladder

In finance, a ladder, also known as a Christmas tree, is a combination of three options of the same type (all calls or all puts) at three different strike prices. [1] A long ladder is used by traders who expect low volatility, while a short ladder is used by traders who expect high volatility. [1] [2] Ladders are in some ways similar to strangles, vertical spreads, condors, or ratio spreads. [1] [3] [4]

Contents

A long call ladder consists of buying a call at one strike price and selling a call at each of two higher strike prices, while a long put ladder consists of buying a put at one strike price and selling a put at each of two lower strike prices. [1] A short ladder is the opposite position, in which one option is sold and the other two are bought. [1] Often, the strike prices are chosen to make the ladder delta neutral. [1] All three options must have the same expiry date. [1]

The term ladder is also used for an unrelated type of exotic option, [1] and the term Christmas tree is also used for an unrelated option combination similar to a butterfly. [5]

Examples

For example, a trader might construct a long call ladder by buying one call with a strike price of 90, selling one call with a strike price of 95, and selling another call with a strike price of 105, all expiring on the same date. This would yield a limited loss if the options expire with the underlying near or below 90, a large loss if the options expire with the underlying far above 105, and a limited profit if the underlying is near or between 95 and 105. [1]

A trader might construct a long put ladder by buying one put with a strike price of 110, selling one put with a strike price of 105, and selling another put with a strike price of 95 (again, all expiring on the same date). This would yield a limited loss if the options expire with the underlying near or above 110, a large loss if the options expire with the underlying far below 95, and a limited profit if the underlying is near or between 95 and 105. [1]

A short ladder is the opposite position of a long ladder. Thus, for the first example above, the corresponding short call ladder would involve selling a 90 call, buying a 95 call, and buying a 105 call. For the second example, the corresponding short put ladder would involve selling a 110 put, buying a 105 put, and buying a 95 put. [1]

Terminology

The different types of ladders have alternative names: [4]

A ladder can be seen as a modification of a bull spread or a bear spread with an additional option: for instance, a bear call ladder is equivalent to a bear call spread with an additional long call. A bull put ladder is equivalent to a bull put spread with an additional long put. These terms can be confusing, as they do not correspond to the usual concepts of "bullish" and "bearish" in finance. For instance, a bear call ladder is in fact an overall bullish strategy. [3]

Characteristics

Short Strangle.png
Long Condor Spread.png
A long ladder is similar to a short strangle (above) and to a long condor (below).

A long ladder is similar to a short strangle but with limited risk in one direction (the downside for a call ladder and the upside for a put ladder), [1] while a short ladder is similar to a long strangle but with limited profit potential in one direction (again, the downside for a call ladder and the upside for a put ladder). [1] A ladder is also similar to a condor, the key difference being that a condor has an additional option; for example, a long call condor is similar to a long call ladder but with an extra call at a higher strike. [4]

A ladder's Greeks are generally similar to a strangle. [1] Generally, a short ladder is long gamma, short theta, and long vega, while a long ladder is short gamma, long theta, and short vega. [1] A short ladder has limited risk and unlimited potential profit, while a long ladder has unlimited risk and limited potential profit. [6] [7] [8] [9]

A ladder has two break-even points. [6] [7] [8] [9]

Execution

Because a ladder is a somewhat complex spread, it may not be listed directly on electronic exchanges, so traders wishing to trade one may need to make two or three transactions to construct the position, or communicate with a broker or market maker to specify the desired trade. [1]

Related Research Articles

In finance, a put or put option is a financial market derivative instrument that gives the holder the right to sell an asset, at a specified price, by a specified date to the writer of the put. The purchase of a put option is interpreted as a negative sentiment about the future value of the underlying stock. The term "put" comes from the fact that the owner has the right to "put up for sale" the stock or index.

In finance, a straddle strategy involves two transactions in options on the same underlying, with opposite positions. One holds long risk, the other short. As a result, it involves the purchase or sale of particular option derivatives that allow the holder to profit based on how much the price of the underlying security moves, regardless of the direction of price movement.

Box spread (options)

In options trading, a box spread is a combination of positions that has a certain payoff, considered to be simply "delta neutral interest rate position". For example, a bull spread constructed from calls combined with a bear spread constructed from puts has a constant payoff of the difference in exercise prices assuming that the underlying stock does not go ex-dividend before the expiration of the options. If the underlying asset has a dividend of X, then the settled value of the box will be 10 + x. Under the no-arbitrage assumption, the net premium paid out to acquire this position should be equal to the present value of the payoff.

In finance, a calendar spread is a spread trade involving the simultaneous purchase of futures or options expiring on a particular date and the sale of the same instrument expiring on another date. These individual purchases, known as the legs of the spread, vary only in expiration date; they are based on the same underlying market and strike price.

The iron condor is an option trading strategy utilizing two vertical spreads – a put spread and a call spread with the same expiration and four different strikes. A long iron condor is essentially selling both sides of the underlying instrument by simultaneously shorting the same number of calls and puts, then covering each position with the purchase of further out of the money call(s) and put(s) respectively. The converse produces a short iron condor.

In options trading, a bull spread is a bullish, vertical spread options strategy that is designed to profit from a moderate rise in the price of the underlying security.

In options trading, a bear spread is a bearish, vertical spread options strategy that can be used when the options trader is moderately bearish on the underlying security.

In options trading, a vertical spread is an options strategy involving buying and selling of multiple options of the same underlying security, same expiration date, but at different strike prices. They can be created with either all calls or all puts. The term originates from the trading sheets that were used in the open outcry pits on which option prices were listed out by expiry date & strike price, thus looking down the sheet (vertical) the trader would see all options of the same maturity. Vertical spreads can sometimes approximate binary options, and can be produced using vanilla options.

In finance an iron butterfly, also known as the ironfly, is the name of an advanced, neutral-outlook, options trading strategy that involves buying and holding four different options at three different strike prices. It is a limited-risk, limited-profit trading strategy that is structured for a larger probability of earning smaller limited profit when the underlying stock is perceived to have a low volatility.

Option strategies are the simultaneous, and often mixed, buying or selling of one or more options that differ in one or more of the options' variables. Call options, simply known as Calls, give the buyer a right to buy a particular stock at that option's strike price. Opposite to that are Put options, simply known as Puts, which give the buyer the right to sell a particular stock at the option's strike price. This is often done to gain exposure to a specific type of opportunity or risk while eliminating other risks as part of a trading strategy. A very straightforward strategy might simply be the buying or selling of a single option; however, option strategies often refer to a combination of simultaneous buying and or selling of options.

Options spreads are the basic building blocks of many options trading strategies. A spread position is entered by buying and selling options of the same class on the same underlying security but with different strike prices or expiration dates. An option spread shouldn't be confused with a spread option. The three main classes of spreads are the horizontal spread, the vertical spread and the diagonal spread. They are grouped by the relationships between the strike price and expiration dates of the options involved -

A Ratio spread is a complex, multileg options position that is a variation of a vertical spread. Like a vertical, the ratio spread involves buying and selling options on the same underlying security with different strike prices and the same expiration date. Unlike a vertical spread, a number of option contracts sold is not equal to a number of contracts bought. An unequal number of options contracts gives this spread certain unique properties compared to a regular vertical spread. A typical ratio spread would be where twice as many option contracts are sold, thus forming a 1:2 ratio.

The backspread is the converse strategy to the ratio spread and is also known as reverse ratio spread. Using calls, a bullish strategy known as the call backspread can be constructed and with puts, a strategy known as the put backspread can be constructed.

Option (finance) Right to buy or sell a certain thing at a later date at an agreed price

In finance, an option is a contract which conveys to its owner, the holder, the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset or instrument at a specified strike price on or before a specified date, depending on the style of the option. Options are typically acquired by purchase, as a form of compensation, or as part of a complex financial transaction. Thus, they are also a form of asset and have a valuation that may depend on a complex relationship between underlying asset value, time until expiration, market volatility, and other factors. Options may be traded between private parties in over-the-counter (OTC) transactions, or they may be exchange-traded in live, orderly markets in the form of standardized contracts.

Credit spread (options)

In finance, a credit spread, or net credit spread is an options strategy that involves a purchase of one option and a sale of another option in the same class and expiration but different strike prices. It is designed to make a profit when the spreads between the two options narrows.

In finance, a strangle is a trading strategy involving the purchase or sale of two options, allowing the holder to profit based on how much the price of the underlying security moves, with minimal exposure to the direction of price movement. A strangle consists of one call and one put with the same expiry and underlying but different strike prices. Typically the call has a higher strike price than the put. If the put has a higher strike price instead, the position is sometimes called a guts.

Stock option return calculations provide investors with an easy metric for comparing stock option positions. For example, for two stock option positions which appear identical, the potential stock option return may be useful for determining which position has the highest relative potential return.

In options trading, a jade lizard is a custom option strategy which consists of a bear vertical spread created using call options, with the addition of a put option sold at a strike price lower than the strike prices of the call spread. For one underlying security, same expiration date, this strategy consists of buying a call option at one strike price, selling another call option at a lower strike price, then selling an OTM put option at a strike price lower than that of both call options. The addition of the sale of a put option is consistent with the expected move of the underlying and results in additional premium collected. The jade lizard strategy takes advantage of the volatility skew inherently priced into options with naked puts trading richer in premium than naked calls and short call spreads trading richer in premium than short put spreads. This volatility skew effect allows the trader to collect more premium for the overall position and thus, increasing the position's probability of profit. The term "jade lizard" was first used by former CBOE floor traders, Liz Dierking and Jenny Andrews, on the Liz & Jny Show on the Tastytrade Network.

A jelly roll, or simply a roll, is an options trading strategy that captures the cost of carry of the underlying asset while remaining otherwise neutral. It is often used to take a position on dividends or interest rates, or to profit from mispriced calendar spreads.

Condor (options) Options trading strategy

A condor is a limited-risk, non-directional options trading strategy consisting of four options at four different strike prices. The buyer of a condor earns a profit if the underlying is between or near the inner two strikes at expiry, but has a limited loss if the underlying is near or outside the outer two strikes at expiry. Therefore, long condors are used by traders who expect the underlying to stay within a limited range, while short condors are used by traders who expect the underlying to make a large move in either direction. Compared to a butterfly, a condor is profitable at a wider range of potential underlying values, but has a higher premium and therefore a lower maximum profit.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Natenberg, Sheldon (2015). "Chapter 11". Option Volatility and Pricing: Advanced Trading Strategies and Techniques (Second ed.). New York. ISBN   9780071818780.
  2. ↑ "Ladder option". The Financial Engineer. 21 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 Cohen, Guy (7 April 2005). "Chapter 3". The Bible of Options Strategies: The Definitive Guide for Practical Trading Strategies. Pearson Education. ISBN   978-0-13-278207-4. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Mullaney, Michael (29 April 2009). The Complete Guide to Option Strategies: Advanced and Basic Strategies on Stocks, ETFs, Indexes, and Stock Index Futures. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 259–260. ISBN   978-0-470-47129-6. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Christmas Tree Butterfly Call". www.optionsplaybook.com. The Options Playbook. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Long Call Ladder Explained". www.theoptionsguide.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "Short Call Ladder Explained". www.theoptionsguide.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "Long Put Ladder Explained". www.theoptionsguide.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "Short Put Ladder Explained". www.theoptionsguide.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.