Covered Call

Filed Under » , , ,
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Covered Call'

An options strategy whereby an investor holds a long position in an asset and writes (sells) call options on that same asset in an attempt to generate increased income from the asset. This is often employed when an investor has a short-term neutral view on the asset and for this reason hold the asset long and simultaneously have a short position via the option to generate income from the option premium.

This is also known as a "buy-write".
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Covered Call'

For example, let's say that you own shares of the TSJ Sports Conglomerate and like its long-term prospects as well as its share price but feel in the shorter term the stock will likely trade relatively flat, perhaps within a few dollars of its current price of, say, $25. If you sell a call option on TSJ for $26, you earn the premium from the option sale but cap your upside. One of three scenarios is going to play out:

a) TSJ shares trade flat (below the $26 strike price) - the option will expire worthless and you keep the premium from the option. In this case, by using the buy-write strategy you have successfully outperformed the stock.

b) TSJ shares fall - the option expires worthless, you keep the premium, and again you outperform the stock.

c) TSJ shares rise above $26 - the option is exercised, and your upside is capped at $26, plus the option premium. In this case, if the stock price goes higher than $26, plus the premium, your buy-write strategy has underperformed the TSJ shares.

To know more about covered calls and how to use them, read The Basics Of Covered Calls and Cut Down Option Risk With Covered Calls.

Directory (Option Strategy)

  1.

    Alligator Spread

  2. Atlantic Spread

  3. Back Fee

  4. Backspread

  5. Bailard, Biehl And Kaiser Five-Way Model

  6. Bear Call Spread

  7. Bear Put Spread

  8. Bear Spread

  9. Bear Straddle

  10. Box Spread

  11. Bull Call Spread

  12. Bull Put Spread

  13. Bull Spread

  14. Bullet Trade

  15. Butterfly Spread

  16. Buy A Spread

  17. Calendar Spread

  18. Call Ratio Backspread

  19. Collar

  20. Collar Agreement

  21. Condor Spread

  22. Contingent Order

  23. Conversion Arbitrage

  24. Covered Call

  25. Covered Combination

  26. Covered Straddle

  27. Credit Spread

  28. Death Put

  29. Debit Spread

  30. Delta Hedging

  31. Delta Neutral

  32. Delta Spread

  33. Diagonal Spread

  34. Dividend Arbitrage

  35. Double One-Touch Option

  36. Fence (Options)

  37. Fiduciary Call

  38. Fixed Dollar Value Collar

  39. FMAN

  40. Forex Hedge

  41. Forex Option & Currency Trading Options

  42. Form 6781: Gains And Losses From Section ...

  43. Front Fee

  44. Gut Spread

  45. Heston Model

  46. Horizontal Spread

  47. Implied Volatility - IV

  48. Interest Rate Collar

  49. Iron Butterfly

  50. Iron Condor

  51. Leg

  52. Leg Out

  53. Long Jelly Roll

  54. Long Leg

  55. Long Put

  56. Long Straddle

  57. Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities ...

  58. Married Put

  59. Modidor

  60. Multi Index Option

  61. Multi-Leg Options Order

  62. Naked Call

  63. Naked Option

  64. Naked Position

  65. Naked Put

  66. Negative Butterfly

  67. Net Option Premium

  68. Neutral

  69. Option Premium

  70. Outright Option

  71. Overwrite

  72. Overwriting

  73. Positive Butterfly

  74. Protective Put

  75. Put Calendar

  76. Put On A Call

  77. Put On A Put

  78. Put Ratio Backspread

  79. Put To Seller

  80. Ratio Call Write

  81. Ratio Spread

  82. Reverse Calendar Spread

  83. Reverse Conversion

  84. Risk Reversal

  85. Roll Down

  86. Roll Forward

  87. Roll Up

  88. Seagull Option

  89. Sell To Open

  90. Series 4

  91. Short Leg

  92. Short Straddle

  93. Straddle

  94. Strangle

  95. Swing Option

  96. Synthetic Dividend

  97. Variable Ratio Write

  98. VIX Option

  99. Writing An Option

  100. Zero Cost Collar

  101. Zomma

Articles Of Interest

  1.

    Covered Call Strategies For A Falling Market

    Find out how to come out on top, even when the market is dropping.

  2. Cut Down Option Risk With Covered Calls

    A good place to start with options is writing these contracts against shares you already own.

  3. Naked Call Writing: A Risky Options Strategy

    Learn about this aggressive trading strategy to generate income as part of a diversified portfolio.

  4. Tips For Series 7 Options Questions

    We'll show you how to ace the largest and most difficult section of this exam.

  5. The Basics Of Covered Calls

    Learn how this simple options contract can work for you, even when your stock isn't.

  6. An Alternative Covered Call Options Trading Strategy

    This different approach to the covered-call write offers less risk and greater potential profit.

  7. Options Basics Tutorial

    Discover the world of options, from primary concepts to how options work and why you might use them.

  8. Going Long On Calls

    Learn how to buy calls and then sell or exercise them to earn a profit.

  9. Trade Smarter With Equivalent Positions

    Understanding the concept of equivalent positions will help you trade more efficiently and save money on trade fees.

  10. Using LEAPS In A Covered Call Write

    Discover how strategy can help reduce your downside risk.
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions

  1. Network Effect

    A phenomenon whereby a good or service becomes more valuable when more people use it. The internet is a good example...

  2. Racketeering

    Racketeering refers to criminal activity that is performed to benefit an organization such as a crime syndicate. Examples of racketeering activity include...

  3. Lawful Money

    Any form of currency issued by the United States Treasury and not the Federal Reserve System, including gold and silver coins, Treasury notes, and Treasury bonds. Lawful money stands in contrast to fiat money, to which the government assigns value although it has no intrinsic value of its own and is not backed by reserves.

  4. Fast Market Rule

    A rule in the United Kingdom that permits market makers to trade outside quoted ranges, when an exchange determines that market movements are so sharp that quotes cannot be kept current.

  5. Absorption Rate

    The rate at which available homes are sold in a specific real estate market during a given time period.

  6. Yellow Sheets

    A United States bulletin that provides updated bid and ask prices as well as other information on over-the-counter (OTC) corporate bonds...
Trading Center