Straddles & Strangles: The Potential and the Risk of “Profiting Both Ways” | #OptionsHandbook EP038

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08-28

In the last post, we looked at how to profit from sideways markets by selling straddles and strangles—earning money from the passage of time.

Now that you know how the P/L works, what other details should you be aware of before trading?

📘 Let’s hear what The Options Handbook says—

▶ Quick Recap: What Are Straddles and Strangles? 🔄

  • Short Straddle: Sell a call and a put at the same strike price on the same expiration date.

  • Short Strangle: Sell a call and a put at different strike prices on the same expiration date.

The core idea of both strategies is predicting that the stock will remain relatively stable, and selling options to earn the premiums.

▶ Why some traders love them: 💡

  • You earn from both sides: call and put premiums.

  • You profit from time decay, not price moves.

  • You don't need to predict direction, just low volatility.

▶ Where’s the Risk? ⚠️

  • Unlimited risk on big moves, especially on the call side.

  • Requires significant margin and risk management.

  • You can lose big if volatility spikes or news breaks.

▶ Is This Strategy Right for You? 🎯

  • If you’re an experienced trader with sufficient capital, you can consider short straddles or strangles.

  • If you think the stock will barely move, a straddle gives you more premium, but a smaller range for profit.

  • If you expect mild fluctuations, a strangle gives you a wider buffer, but less upfront income.

Either way, you're trading time for cash, and you'd better be confident the market won't surprise you.

💡 The Options Handbook also includes P/L charts for both strategies—clear at a glance. Now available in the Tiger Coin Center! 🐯

>> Redeem Options Handbook Now <<

>> Click here for the Simplified Chinese version <<

Market Amplifies Earnings Moves, Can a Strangle Make You Money?
This week marks the most volatile earnings week of the season. The market is punishing bad earnings and rewarding good ones—yesterday, some strong performers surged over 20%, while certain earnings misses dropped more than 20%. Is this the perfect time to use a strangle strategy—betting on volatility instead of direction? What’s your go-to options strategy during earnings season? Do you focus on steady returns or look to capitalize on IV crush? And which stocks do you think are best suited for options trading?
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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