The Basics of Covered Calls

Professional market players write covered calls to increase investment income but individual investors can also benefit from this conservative but effective option strategy by taking the time to learn how it works and when to use it. In this regard, let's look at the covered call and examine ways it can lower portfolio risk and improve investment returns.

You are entitled to several rights as a stock or futures contract owner, including the right to sell the security at any time for the market price. Covered call writing sells this right to someone else in exchange for cash, meaning the buyer of the option gets the right to own your security on or before the expiration date at a predetermined price called the strike price.

A call option is a contract that gives the buyer the legal right (but not the obligation) to buy 100 shares of the underlying stock or one futures contract at the strike price any time on or before expiration. If the seller of the call option also owns the underlying security, the option is considered "covered" because he or she can deliver the instrument without purchasing it on the open market at possibly unfavorable pricing.

The buyer pays the seller of the call option a premium to obtain the right to buy shares or contracts at a predetermined future price. The premium is a cash fee paid on the day the option is sold and is the seller's money to keep, regardless of whether the option is exercised or not.

When you sell a covered call, you get paid in exchange for giving up a portion of future upside. For example, let's assume you buy XYZ stock for $50 per share, believing it will rise to $60 within one year. You're also willing to sell at $55 within six months, giving up further upside while taking a  short-term profit. In this scenario, selling a covered call on the position might be an attractive strategy.

The stock's option chain indicates that selling a $55 six-month call option will cost the buyer a $4 per share premium. You could sell that option against your shares, which you purchased at $50 and hope to sell at $60 within a year. Writing this covered call creates an obligation to sell the shares at $55 within six months if the underlying price reaches that level. You get to keep the $4 in premium plus the $55 from the share sale, for the grand total of $59, or an 18% return over six months.

On the other hand, you'll incur a $10 loss on the original position if the stock falls to $40. However, you get to keep the $4 premium from the sale of the call option, lowering the total loss from $10 to $6 per share.

Selling covered call options can help offset downside risk or add to upside return, taking the cash premium in exchange for future upside beyond the strike price plus premium.during the contract period. In other words, if XYZ stock in the example closes above $59, the seller makes less money than if he or she simply held the stock. However, if the stock ends the six-month period below $59 per share, the seller makes more money or loses less money than if the options sale hadn't taken place.

Call sellers have to hold onto underlying shares or contracts or they'll be holding naked calls, which have theoretically unlimited loss potential if the underlying security rises. Therefore, sellers need to buy back options positions before expiration if they want to sell shares or contracts, increasing transaction costs while lowering net gains or increasing net losses.

Use covered calls to decrease the cost basis or to gain income from shares or futures contracts. adding a profit generator to stock or contract ownership.