Options strategies with a defined purpose.
Options can provide investors with tools that are difficult to replicate using stocks and bonds alone. PortfolioLab may incorporate options to gain market exposure, generate option premium, manage downside risk, or establish positions at predetermined prices.
We view options as portfolio-management tools—not as a separate asset class that must be used in every account.
Start with the objective. Then determine whether an option belongs.
Every options position introduces a different combination of potential return, downside risk, time sensitivity, and obligations. We therefore begin by identifying what the portfolio is trying to accomplish before selecting a strategy.
Long Calls
A long call provides the right, but not the obligation, to purchase an underlying security at a specified strike price before or at expiration.
Why might we use one?
A long call can provide upside exposure while limiting the capital placed at risk to the premium paid for the option.
This can be useful when we have a favorable view of a company or market but want to define the maximum loss associated with that particular position.
Rather than purchasing 100 shares outright, an investor may purchase one call option representing 100 shares. If the security rises sufficiently above the strike price before expiration, the call may increase in value.
If the investment thesis is wrong, the option can expire worthless and the premium paid can be lost.
Covered Calls
A covered call combines ownership of a security with the sale of a call option against that position.
Why might we use covered calls?
Covered calls can generate option premium from securities already held in a portfolio.
They may be considered when we are willing to sell a position at a particular price and believe receiving premium is attractive relative to the possibility that the shares are called away.
What is the trade-off?
Selling the call limits the upside available on the shares above the call's effective exercise price during the life of the option.
The option premium provides only limited downside protection. If the underlying stock falls substantially, the investor still participates in most of that decline.
Cash-Secured Puts
A cash-secured put involves selling a put option while maintaining sufficient cash to purchase the underlying shares if assignment occurs.
Getting paid while waiting for a potential entry point.
Imagine we would be comfortable purchasing a particular company, but only at a lower price than where the stock currently trades.
Rather than immediately purchasing the shares, a cash-secured put may allow us to receive option premium in exchange for accepting the obligation to buy the shares at the strike price if assigned.
The strategy should generally be used only when we are comfortable owning the underlying security at the effective purchase price.
The option may expire without assignment and the investor generally retains the premium, before costs and taxes.
The investor may be required to purchase the shares at the strike price even if their market value has fallen substantially below it.
Hedging Strategies
Options can also be used defensively to modify the risk profile of an individual position or broader portfolio.
Protective Puts
Purchasing a put against a stock position can establish a price below which the put may offset a portion of further losses during the option's life.
Portfolio Hedges
Index or ETF options may be considered to reduce exposure to a broader market decline without necessarily selling every underlying investment.
Collars
A collar can combine the purchase of downside protection with the sale of a call, exchanging some potential upside for a more defined range of outcomes.
Protective options have a cost. Repeatedly purchasing protection can reduce portfolio returns, and no hedge can eliminate every source of investment risk.
Different tools for different objectives.
| Strategy | Primary Objective | Premium | Primary Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Call | Upside exposure with defined premium at risk | Paid | Option can expire worthless |
| Covered Call | Generate premium on an owned position | Received | Upside can be capped |
| Cash-Secured Put | Potentially acquire shares at a predetermined price | Received | Obligation to buy if assigned |
| Hedging | Modify downside exposure | Often paid | Cost can reduce returns |
Options should solve a portfolio problem.
We do not believe options should be added simply to make a portfolio more complicated. When used, an options strategy should have a clearly identified purpose and a risk profile that fits the investor's broader portfolio.
Build the strategy around the portfolio—not the other way around.
PortfolioLab can evaluate your current investments, risk, objectives, and existing positions to determine whether an options strategy may have an appropriate role within your portfolio.
Request a Portfolio Review →PortfolioLab LLC is a Florida-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This material is provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as individualized investment advice or a recommendation to enter into any options transaction. Options involve risk and are not appropriate for every investor. Options may expire worthless, positions may be assigned before expiration, and certain strategies can result in substantial losses. Hedging strategies may reduce but cannot eliminate investment risk and may reduce portfolio returns. Investors should understand the characteristics and risks of any options strategy before investing. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.