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Home/Options strategies/Scenario Lab · Short Straddle

Neutral strategy · Scenario Lab

Test a Short Straddle across possible paths

Market outlook Neutral

Short call and put at same strike benefit from flatness. Use the lab to see how the position responds before committing to a single forecast.

Scenario Lab

See how the position changes

Move the underlying, clock, and implied volatility independently. Values before expiration use a Black–Scholes estimate; expiration values use intrinsic payoff.

Sell call 1
Sell put 2

The catalog’s default strikes and premiums are illustrative. No ticker lookup or market data is used.

Position valuation

Profit / loss at valuation date

Adjust the assumptions above to see the modelled P/L shape move. Green is profit; red is loss.

Estimated payoff by underlying priceSpot —
LossUnderlying price →Profit
Selected scenario—
Estimated P/L before expiration by underlying move and time remaining
UnderlyingToday30 days14 days7 daysExpiration
-15% ——————
-10% ——————
-5% ——————
0% ——————
+5% ——————
+10% ——————
+20% ——————
IV lens

At expiration

Intrinsic payoff checkpoints

Time value has gone to zero. IV no longer changes the result.

Profit or loss at expiration
UnderlyingMoveP/L
—-15%—
—-10%—
—-5%—
—0%—
—+5%—
—+10%—
—+20%—

Model boundary: theoretical estimates use dividend-adjusted Black–Scholes for European exercise or a 100-step binomial estimate for American exercise. Fees, spreads, discrete dividend dates, early assignment behavior, and liquidity effects are excluded. Calculation, not advice.

Why this structure behaves this way

Short Straddle is shaped by neutral delta and short vega exposure

Delta-neutral at entry with maximum theta collection of any two-leg structure at this strike. Short gamma and vega mean IV contraction and continued flatness are profitable, but losses accelerate sharply if the stock breaks away from the strike.

This page uses the catalog’s illustrative default legs so you can compare direction, time, and volatility effects in one place. Edit the assumptions above to test a different starting point.