Options
26 formulas
Options formulas span three layers: per-trade premium yields annualized to compare expirations side by side (cash-secured puts, covered calls, credit spreads, iron condors); break-even and effective-price reference points for short and long positions; and the Black-Scholes-Merton pricing framework with put-call parity and the five Greeks (delta, gamma, theta, vega, rho) for valuing European options and quantifying their sensitivities.
Premium Yields
Cash-Secured Put Annualized Return
Calculates the simple-annualized rate of return on selling a cash-secured put, assuming the option expires worthless. Uses the strike price as the cash basis (the amount set aside to secure the obligation).
Cash-Secured Put Compounded Annualized Return
Calculates the compounded-annualized rate of return on a cash-secured put, treating the per-trade yield as a periodic return that compounds end-to-end across the year. Always slightly higher than the simple-annualized form for the same inputs.
Cash-Secured Put Return on Net Cash
Annualized rate of return on a cash-secured put using the net cash outlay (Strike − Premium) as the denominator instead of the full strike. Reflects the actual cash tied up after the premium is received up front.
Naked Put Return on Margin
Annualized rate of return on selling an uncovered (naked) put, using the broker-imposed margin requirement as the capital base. Same shape as the cash-secured put formula but typically yields a much higher figure because margin is a fraction of the strike.
Covered Call Annualized Return
Calculates the simple-annualized rate of return from premium income on selling a covered call, assuming the option expires worthless. Uses the strike price as the capital basis — a close proxy for an at-the-money call where strike approximates current stock price.
Covered Call Compounded Annualized Return
Compounded-annualized return from premium income on a covered call, treating the per-trade yield as a periodic return that compounds end-to-end across the year. Always slightly higher than the simple form for the same inputs.
Covered Call Static Return (If-Not-Called)
Annualized return on a covered call assuming the stock finishes below the strike and the option expires worthless. Premium is the only return, measured against the stock cost basis (the actual capital tied up in the shares).
Covered Call If-Called Total Return
Annualized total return on a covered call assuming the stock finishes above the strike and is called away. Includes both the premium received and the capital gain from the stock cost basis up to the strike, divided by the cost basis.
Multi-Leg Strategies
Vertical Credit Spread Return on Risk
Annualized return on a defined-risk credit spread (bull put or bear call), measured as net credit divided by maximum risk (strike width minus credit), scaled to an annual rate.
Iron Condor Return on Risk
Annualized return on an iron condor — two credit spreads (one bull put, one bear call) in equal widths around the underlying — measured as combined net credit divided by maximum one-side loss (width − credit).
Break-Even & Effective Prices
Short Put Effective Purchase Price
Effective per-share cost basis if a short put is assigned: strike price minus premium received. Reflects that the premium reduces the net price you pay for the assigned shares.
Covered Call Effective Sale Price
Effective per-share sale price if a covered call is assigned: strike price plus premium received. Reflects that the premium boosts the net price you realize when shares are called away.
Long Call Break-Even Price
Underlying price at expiration at which a long call breaks even: strike price plus premium paid.
Long Put Break-Even Price
Underlying price at expiration at which a long put breaks even: strike price minus premium paid.
Pricing & Relationships
Put-Call Parity
Fundamental no-arbitrage relationship between European call and put prices on the same underlying, strike, and expiration. Given a put price, current stock price, strike, risk-free rate, and time to expiration, the call price is uniquely determined (and vice versa).
Black-Scholes Call Price
Theoretical price of a European call on a non-dividend-paying stock under the Black-Scholes-Merton model. Assumes log-normal stock returns, constant volatility, constant risk-free rate, and continuous trading.
Black-Scholes Put Price
Theoretical price of a European put on a non-dividend-paying stock under the Black-Scholes-Merton model. Equivalent to the Black-Scholes call price connected by put-call parity.
Implied Volatility
The volatility input that, plugged into the Black-Scholes-Merton formula, makes the model price equal to the observed market price. Solved numerically via Newton-Raphson on price-vs-σ, using vega as the derivative.
Greeks
Call Delta
First derivative of the Black-Scholes call price with respect to the underlying. Approximates the dollar change in call value per $1 change in the stock, and is the model's implied probability that the call expires in the money under the risk-neutral measure.
Put Delta
First derivative of the Black-Scholes put price with respect to the underlying. Equal to call delta minus 1 by put-call parity.
Gamma
Second derivative of option price with respect to the underlying — the rate of change of delta. Identical for European calls and puts on the same strike, expiration, and underlying.
Call Theta
Rate of change of call price with respect to the passage of time, expressed per year. Almost always negative — calls lose value as time passes (time decay).
Put Theta
Rate of change of put price with respect to the passage of time, expressed per year. Usually negative; can be positive for deep ITM European puts on non-dividend-paying stock when the rate-driven term dominates.
Vega
Sensitivity of option price to a 1.00 (i.e. 100 percentage point) change in volatility. Identical for European calls and puts on the same strike and expiration. Most broker platforms divide by 100 to show "$/1% vol move."
Call Rho
Sensitivity of call price to a 1.00 (i.e. 100 percentage point) change in the risk-free rate. Positive for calls — higher rates increase call values via the present-value-of-strike channel.
Put Rho
Sensitivity of put price to a 1.00 (i.e. 100 percentage point) change in the risk-free rate. Negative for puts — higher rates decrease put values.