Long Call: A Bullish Option Strategy

A long call option gives you the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying stock at the strike price by the expiration date. A long call is purchased when you are bullish on the stock’s prospects and expect it to rise appreciably before option expiry.

Long calls benefit from unlimited upside if the stock rallies above the strike price. The maximum loss is limited to the premium paid if the stock stays below the strike at expiry. Long calls offer leveraged exposure to the underlying with capped risk.

Long calls are a versatile strategy that limits losses if wrong about the bullish upside in stock while providing high-profit potential if the stock rallies. Just be mindful of time decay and use long-dated calls to allow time for the upward trajectory to play out.

What Does Long Call Mean for Option Strategies?

A long call means an options strategy where a trader purchases call option contracts on an underlying security like a stock. Each call option contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy 100 shares of the stock at the specified strike price on or before the call option’s expiration date.

The long call strategy is used when the trader has a bullish outlook on the underlying security. They believe the stock price will rise significantly before the option expiration. Buying call options provides leveraged upside exposure to the stock with capped downside risk limited to the premium paid. 

Traders implement long-call purchases when they expect bullish breakouts, momentum, or rallies in the near term but want to define their maximum loss. Buying calls instead of the stock itself has some key advantages. The leverage of calls provides greater upside with less capital outlay since each contract controls 100 shares. The risk is also capped and quantifiable, with maximum loss limited to the premium paid if the stock fails to advance. Long calls allow benefiting from potential sharp short-term rallies. They also provide event exposure for binary events where a bullish surprise is expected—additionally, long calls hedge the downside on existing short or bearish portfolio positions.

Traders utilize technical indicators to determine the best entry points for long calls. Uptrending moving averages that confirm a bull trend provides a supportive backdrop. Price breakouts above resistance levels or chart patterns also signal call buying opportunities. Traders buy long calls when the stock price bounces off support levels or when the RSI indicator nears oversold levels, anticipating a reversal higher.

How Does Long Call Work?

A long-call option works by giving the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the underlying stock at the specified strike price prior to the option’s expiration date. For this right, the buyer of the option pays an upfront premium to the seller. 

Each call option contract typically covers 100 shares of the underlying stock. For example, you are buying 1 call option on Stock XYZ with a Rs. 50 strike price would give the buyer the right to buy 100 shares of XYZ at Rs. 50 before the call expires.

The buyer profits on a long call if the stock price rises above the strike price by an amount greater than the premium paid. For example, if they paid Rs. 2 per contract and the stock rallied to Rs. 55, the call buyer could exercise and acquire the shares for Rs. 50, then sell them at Rs. 55 for a Rs. 3 per share profit.

The call buyer lets the option expire worthless and loses just the price paid if the stock remains below the strike at expiration. The maximum loss is the premium, no matter how much the stock drops.

How Traders Utilise Long Calls?

Buyers utilize long calls mainly by buying near-term calls before major catalysts like clinical trial data, FDA decisions, earnings, etc, where a bullish surprise is anticipated. They also buy calls in stocks trending higher to benefit from the momentum continuing without having to time market tops. Below are four other ways traders utilize long calls.

Purchasing long-dated calls to hedge downside risk in an overall equity portfolio against market corrections.

Traders buy calls and simultaneously sell covered calls against them at a higher strike to generate income.

The leverage of calls provides greater upside exposure with less capital required than buying stock outright.

Long calls allow participating in the upside of stock while defining maximum loss if wrong about the further upside.

Traders should take into account factors such as implied volatility, strike choice, days to expiry, and upside targets when evaluating possible long-call option bets. Higher implied volatility raises option premiums but also signals greater upside opportunity. The chosen strike price needs to align with profit goals balanced against affordability. Expiration dates should provide enough time for the bullish thesis to play out.

How Important is the Long Call Option Strategy for Trading?

The long call strategy is important as it allows traders to benefit from unlimited upside in the underlying stock for the lifetime of the option while only requiring an upfront premium to gain exposure. The inherent leverage provides greater upside participation with less capital outlay compared to buying the stock outright. Each call option controls 100 shares while requiring significantly less capital.

Long calls have limited downside risk, which is capped at the premium paid to purchase the call options. Even if the stock drops to zero, the maximum loss on a long call is the amount originally paid. The defined and quantifiable risk makes long calls attractive for traders who want exposure to upside stock moves but with a cushion against potential declines.

Long calls are utilized as a supplement to existing stock positions. For stocks with a long-term bullish outlook, traders buy long-term call options while continuing to hold the common shares. The calls provide greater upside potential, while stock holdings produce dividends and provide downside support.

In addition to long-term investing, long calls allow capitalizing on potential short-term upside catalysts and rallies. Buying short-dated calls before events like clinical trial data, FDA announcements, earnings reports, etc, provides cheap exposure if the news is positive. The leverage boosts profits while capping the downside.

Long call options allow hedging downside risk in existing portfolios containing bearish exposures. For example, long calls are purchased on broad market ETFs like SPY as a hedge against short positions or overall portfolio losses during market declines. The calls offset losses elsewhere if markets rise.

After purchasing long calls to capture an upside move, call options at higher strike prices are then sold against the position to generate income via covered call writing. Traders buy calls anticipating the upside, then write covered calls to earn extra income from the holding.

What are the Advantages of Long Call as a Trading Option?

Limited risk, leverage, increased profitability, etc., are the main advantages of Long Call as a Trading Option.

Limited Risk:The risk with long calls is limited to the premium paid to purchase the option. Unlike shorting a stock or buying it outright, the most an investor loses is the cost of the option premium. The maximum loss is known upfront.

Leverage: Options provide leverage, meaning a small amount of capital provides exposure to a large number of shares of the underlying security. Rather than having to buy 100 shares of a Rs. 50 stock for Rs. 5,000, an investor buys 1 long call contract (controlling 100 shares) for a fraction of that upfront cost (the premium price). This allows for greater upside with less capital invested upfront.

Increased Probability of Profit: With the right trading plan, long calls have a high probability of earning a profit. Options strategies are structured to profit if the underlying stock goes up, stays flat, or even if it declines slightly. Appropriate option selections, timing, and discipline are key.

Defined Risk vs Reward: Before entering a long call trade, the maximum risk (premium paid) and potential reward (underlying price rise) are known. This allows traders to properly size positions and implement appropriate risk management for an asymmetric risk/reward profile. The loss is limited to the premium, while the potential profit is unlimited to the upside until expiration.

Ability to Profit from a Rise: Long calls allow traders to profit from an increase in the underlying asset’s price. For every point the stock rises above the strike price, the call option will generally rise by a point as well (excluding external factors on option pricing). Long calls allow benefiting from upward price moves.

Profits if Stock Stays Flat: With long calls, the underlying stock stays relatively flat or trades within a range and the call still profits. As time passes, options experience time decay, so the call price actually rises modestly even if the stock doesn’t move up much. Even in the absence of a large rally, the call benefits if the time decay exceeds a little stock decline.

Hedging: Long calls hedge against heavy losses in a stock portfolio. An investor purchases long call options as a hedge to prevent further losses if they are holding stock that has seen a significant decrease. Gains from the calls are balance losses on the shares if the stock rebounds. The calls also provide profit potential if the stock rallies. This hedging limits further downside risk.

Extra Income: Long calls allow traders to earn income by selling covered calls against long call positions. Once purchased, short-call options are sold against the long-call to bring in premium income while not limiting the upside potential. This income potential is an advantage over just owning the stock outright.

Expiration Flexibility: Depending on the investor’s sentiment, long calls purchased with a distant expiration allow holding for an extended period or selling prior to expiration. The call is sold to exit the trade and profit from any premium rise if sentiment shifts after purchase. It is optional to hold the call until it expires.

Manageable Losses: Unlike short selling, which involves theoretically unlimited loss potential, long calls have a capped downside limit defined by the premium paid. The maximum loss is fixed on the trade, allowing easier loss management.

No Margin Calls: Long calls do not involve margin or leverage from the broker, so there are no margin requirements or risk of margin calls. The only capital required is the defined premium cost to open the trade. The position can’t be forced to close prematurely by a broker.

No Short Sale Restrictions: Certain stocks have restrictions on short selling that prevent directly profiting from potential declines. Long calls allow profiting from the downside without limitations or special account requirements imposed on short positions. Long calls are widely available on all optionable stocks without restrictions.

Broad Asset Classes: Call options are available on a wide range of securities, including equities, ETFs, indexes, commodities, and currencies. This allows long calls to benefit from upside opportunities across asset classes as part of a diversified portfolio.

Liquidity: Many optionable stocks have very liquid options markets, allowing easy entry and exit. Wide bid-ask spreads are uncommon, allowing efficient trades. There is typically adequate liquidity and trading volume to support active options traders in most stocks.

Easy Access and Availability: Long calls are readily accessible to most investors without the very high account minimums or approvals required for advanced options strategies. Basic call buying has limited risk and does not require special levels of clearance or authorization at most brokers.

Defined Profit Taking: Investors actively set profit targets and stop losses. The calls are sold for a profit once the underlying share prices hit the desired thresholds. Gains are booked at chosen price points with predetermined exit methods.

Tax Advantages: Calls held longer than one year qualify for long-term capital gains tax treatment. Short-term gains are taxed at the investor’s ordinary income rate. By holding calls for 12+ months, the lower long-term capital gains rate provides a tax advantage for qualified investors. 

High Probability Strategies: Certain multi-leg option positions like call spreads allow structuring with an exceptionally high probability of earning a profit. Long calls are employed in high-probability settings with little risk when the chances are very favourable.

Higher Potential Returns: In the event that shares climb to infinity when trading individual equities, the maximum gain is capped at 100%. But with long calls, profits multiply several times over with large upside moves. Returns sometimes exceed those available from simply owning the stock.

Low Correlation: Long calls provide portfolio diversification since options have a lower correlation to most other asset classes. This means they produce gains even when other holdings are declining, improving overall portfolio performance.

Risk Management: Long calls allow only allocating a small percentage of capital to trade while controlling a large number of shares. This allows proper position sizing and implementing sound money management based on the predefined maximum risk.

Combination Strategies: Long calls are combined with other options like puts or spreads to define risk and reward parameters further. Multi-leg strategies create additional trading opportunities with favourable skew.

Customizable: Strike selection, expiration date, and timing of entry/exit are all adjusted to customize the long call strategy to an investor’s specific market outlook, risk tolerance, and profit objectives. Long calls are highly customizable. 

Efficient Use of Capital: Buying call options controls shares of the underlying with just a small fraction of the capital needed to purchase the stock outright. This frees up capital for other investments and utilizes capital more efficiently than buying equities 100% in cash.

The versatility, leverage, risk control, profit potential, and customizability of long calls offer advantages over other trading and investing strategies. Their well-defined and capped downside risk, coupled with large upside potential, provide an efficient means of trading and hedging while actively managing risk and maximizing capital. Compared to other strategies, long-call options provide investors with several advantages when employed wisely.

What are the Disadvantages of Long Calls as a Trading Option?

The key disadvantages of long call as a trading option include time decay, predefined downside, expiration risks, etc.

Time Decay: One of the biggest risks associated with long calls is time decay, also known as theta. As calls approach their expiration date, the rate of time decay tends to accelerate. The time value component of the option premium erodes over time, hurting long call positions. Traders have to contend with this decay in option pricing.

Predefined Downside: While the maximum loss is limited, purchasing long calls means accepting a predefined downside if the trade loses. The premium spent upfront is lost if the call expires out of the money. Upside potential is unlimited, but 100% of the premium is at risk if the trade doesn’t work out.

Expiration Risks: Options have defined expirations after which they are worthless if out of the money. Long calls face expiration risks if the underlying has not surpassed the strike price prior to expiry. The call’s value decreases to zero at expiration if it is not lucrative by then.

Implied Volatility Changes: Call premiums rise when implied volatility increases, benefiting long positions. But volatility declines adversely impact long calls. Lower implied volatility typically means lower call premiums, hurting returns.

Underperformance vs Stock: In strongly trending bull markets, long calls sometimes significantly underperform just owning the underlying stock outright. While the call gains value as the stock rises, in surging markets, the stock gains sometimes vastly exceed the call gains.

Opportunity Cost: The premium paid for options represents an opportunity cost. That capital could have been used to purchase the stock or invest elsewhere. Option buyers forego other opportunities due to the tying up of capital in long call positions.

Lack of Dividends: Call options do not pay dividends. Only the underlying stock delivers dividends. By buying calls instead of the stock, traders sometimes miss out on dividend payments the shares would have generated over time.

Complex Strategies: While buying long calls is rather straightforward, more complex options strategies like spreads or combinations bring additional risks. As more legs are added, complexity rises along with risks of improper execution.

Narrow Profit Zone: Compared to just owning a stock, long calls have a more narrowly defined profit zone. The stock must rise enough prior to expiration to exceed break even for the calls to profit. Calls expire worthless if the money is not deposited deeply enough.

Contract Size Issues: Stock options contracts typically represent 100 shares of the underlying. Investors are forced to buy options controlling round lots of 100 shares. This makes properly right-sizing positions more difficult compared to buying any number of shares.

Lack of Margin: Unlike stocks bought on margin, options do not allow leverage from the broker. Only the premium paid is at risk, but no margin lending power exists to amplify potential gains from long calls. With margin, more leverage is available.

Assignment Risks: While unlikely early, long calls do carry assignment risk if the calls are in the money near expiration. The trader must purchase the shares at the strike price if they are allocated. Early assignments sometimes result in unwelcome stock ownership and its consequences.

Low Liquidity: While most active large-cap stocks have abundant liquidity in their options, smaller-cap issues have wide markets and very low liquidity in call options. Illiquid options are tough to trade profitably.

Extrinsic Value Decay: Time value makes up a portion of an option’s premium. As that time value decays with the passage of time, it erodes the value of a long call. Even if the stock doesn’t move, long calls lose value from ongoing extrinsic value erosion over time.

Delta Exposure: Delta measures how much an option price changes relative to share price changes. As calls go deeper into the money, the delta approaches 1.0. Deep in the money, long calls have a large delta, almost fully exposing the trader to stock-like risks.

Early Exit Difficulties: Traders often exit trades before expiration if the call gains value. But if the market for the option becomes illiquid, closing out the position early could require accepting adverse price quotes in order to exit.

Earnings Risks: Stocks have large price swings after earnings reports. Long calls bought prior to earnings face volatility from unexpected stock reactions to results. The calls sometimes lose significant value after a bad earnings reaction.

Short Calls Needed: Once long calls are purchased, the trader has no further income potential from the capital deployed into the position. To generate income, short calls must be sold against long positions through further transactions.

Lack of Support: Long calls only have the strike price as support. In the event that the stock closes below that level, support disappears, and the call sustains losses indefinitely and in a straight line until expiry.

No Shorting Ability: Long calls do not allow shorting of the underlying stock like other positions might. This limits bearish opportunity compared to positions like long synthetics, which offer both bullish and bearish potential.

External Factors: Price changes in long calls are not only dictated by the underlying stock. Other external factors like volatility, interest rates, and time left until expiry also influence call pricing. More variables are at work.

Difficult Hedging: Hedging long stock positions with long calls is tricky. Unless the hedge timing is perfect, the call prices often will not move fully in sync with the falling share prices being hedged. Precise hedging is difficult.

Model Dependency: Setting fair value pricing for calls requires option pricing models. Models have inherent flaws and limitations. Traders must understand the model’s assumptions and limitations to avoid mispricing risk.

Uncapped Losses: While the maximum loss is limited on long calls alone if they are used to form spreads or are sold naked, uncapped losses are possible. Combination trades with calls introduce new risks.

Extra Market Variables: Stock prices respond to the supply and demand of the shares. Options must contend with additional variables like implied volatility, interest rates, dividend assumptions, etc. More unrelated factors influence pricing.

Difficult Returns Analysis: Unlike stocks with simple buy/sell prices over time, options returns are complex to compute. Multiple factors affect option pricing, confusing performance measurement and comparison to benchmarks.

Inflation Risks: Options do not deliver inflation-fighting appreciation the way stocks do. Stocks tend to rise with inflation, protecting long-term returns. Long call returns sometimes need to catch up with inflationary forces.

Emotions Challenges: The leveraged nature and built-in time decay of options trading are sometimes emotionally challenging. Fear of losses and greed for quick profits must be managed to avoid costly emotional trading.

Tax Inefficiencies: Unless held over 12 months, profits on long calls are taxed as short-term capital gains at the investor’s ordinary income rate. This makes options trading returns less tax-efficient than long-term stock investing.

Frustration Factor: Newer traders often need more support with options as they gain experience trading them. Patience and discipline are required to overcome common frustrations and become a seasoned options trader.

Lack of Shareholder Rights: Buying calls does not provide shareholder voting rights, the ability to earn dividends or other shareholder rights associated with the underlying stock. The trader has limited rights.

Cap on Profits: While the maximum loss is capped on long call trades, so are the maximum profits. The maximum potential profit is limited to the strike price minus the premium paid if the stock skyrockets. The upside is capped.

Competition Risks: Options traders compete directly with sophisticated institutional algorithmic trading systems. Retail traders are at an inherent disadvantage in the options marketplace against much larger players. 

Partial Protection Only: While long calls limit maximum loss, they only protect part of a stock portfolio from additional downside. Full Protection requires owning enough calls to cover a stock portfolio fully, which is capital-intensive.

While long calls offer traders many advantages, there are also meaningful risks and disadvantages to consider. Understanding both sides is critical to deploying effective trading plans and having realistic performance expectations. Traders should weigh the pros and cons and manage the disadvantages carefully in order to succeed in trading long-call options.

How to Set Up a Long Call for Trading?

To set up a long call for trading, you would buy a call option contract that gives you the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying asset at the strike price by the expiration date.

A long call is an options trading strategy where the trader buys a call option with the expectation that the underlying stock price will rise significantly above the strike price before the option expiration date. Buying calls is an effective way to profit from an expected upside move in the underlying stock while limiting the potential downside risk. 

1. Choose the right underlying stock

The first step is choosing a stock that you expect will experience a significant price increase within the timeframe of the options contract. Ideal candidates for long calls include stocks in an uptrend, stocks with upcoming catalysts like earnings reports, or stocks that have sold off recently but are oversold. You want to select stocks that have the potential for large upside moves.

2. Check liquidity and options availability

Before choosing a specific call option, check that the stock and its options have good liquidity. High liquidity means the options are traded easily without significant slippage on the bid-ask spread. The stock should have narrow bid-ask spreads for the shares, and the call options you want to trade should have tight spreads and significant daily and open interest.

3. Select proper strike price and expiration

Now, you can start evaluating potential call options to purchase. Choose a strike price that is below the current stock price so you benefit from the upside move. The expiration date depends on your forecast timeframe; give yourself enough time to be right on direction and magnitude. Shorter-dated options decay less but are more speculative; longer-dated options have higher premiums but more time to be profitable.

4. Check implied volatility levels 

Compare the implied volatility of the options to the stock’s historical volatility range. Implied volatility is a measure of the expected moves priced into the option. Relative to historical levels, low IV suggests cheaper options, while high IV means more expensive options. Buy calls when IV is on the lower end, as you get better leverage.

5. Place the trade with a broker 

Once you have identified the ideal call option contract to purchase based on the previous steps, it’s time to place the trade. Options trades are placed with an online brokerage account that gives you access to the options market. Analyze the current bid-ask spread on the option and the volume traded to get a sense of the liquidity. Use a limit order to control the premium paid.

6. Manage the position as it moves

Once you have purchased the call option, monitor the stock price action and manage the trade according to your plan. As the stock rises, the call premium will increase, so you will be able to sell and take profits if you hit your profit target before expiration. You will also be able to close the position before expiration to lock in gains if the stock stalls or turns back down. Use stop losses to limit potential losses.

With the proper setup on the right stock, long calls provide leveraged profits from an anticipated upside move in the stock price. Do your research, have a plan, manage risk, and the long call strategy boosts returns in your portfolio.

How to Enter a Long Call in Trading?

To enter a long call in trading, find a stock that you believe will rise significantly in price throughout the options contract before making an entry into a long call option transaction. Research the stock’s upcoming catalysts, technical chart patterns, and volatility.

Then, choose a strike price above the current stock price and pick an expiration date that aligns with your price forecast timeline. Compare implied volatility levels to find call options with relatively low premiums. Decide your position size based on account size and risk tolerance, as calls provide leveraged exposure. Use a limit order when placing the options trade to control the entry price paid for the call premium. Monitor the order status until it is filled at the desired price.

How to Exit a Long Call in Trading?

To exit a long call in trading, plan the trade exit strategy before the stock makes its anticipated move. Set a profit target price level or time target to take profits. As the stock price trends higher toward the strike price, you will be able to sell to close the call option to lock in gains before expiration. Use trailing stop loss orders to exit the call position if the stock reverses lower after entry.

Even if the stock sometimes still rises further, take profits when the call option reaches its peak value. Near option expiration, you will be able to choose to sell the call, exercise the call to obtain stock shares, or let it expire worthless if you are out of money. At expiration, in-the-money calls will be automatically exercised if still holding.

Manage position sizing and don’t let options expire without action planned. Execute discipline when exiting long call trades according to the original strategy rules. This will lead to consistent success in trading calls over time.

How is the Time Decay Related to the Long Call?

Time decay, or theta, measures how much an option’s value declines as expiration approaches. Long calls lose value as time passes due to time decay. The rate of decay accelerates in the final weeks before expiration. Traders want the stock to make its move quickly before too much premium is lost.

Long calls benefit from time to expiration when entering the trade, as more time allows the bullish view to play out. Overall, long calls require a timely stock move higher and benefit from slower time decay further from expiration.

How Does Implied Volatility Impact Long Calls?

Implied volatility positively impacts long call options, as higher implied volatility increases the value of these contracts. Implied volatility represents the expected volatility priced into an option’s premium. Higher IV makes options more expensive.

For long calls, a higher IV is beneficial as it increases the option’s value and leverage. Lower IV makes calls cheaper to enter but provides less upside potential. Around earnings or events, IV typically rises, so traders sometimes consider entering long calls when IV is elevated. After the event, the IV drops, so it is best to close long calls when the IV is high.

Managing IV is key to maximizing profits on long-call positioning. An uptick in IV also makes existing long calls more valuable. Overall, long calls benefit from higher implied volatility levels.

How Do Long Calls Be Adjusted?

Long calls are adjusted by rolling them out in time to a further expiration date or up or down in strike price to adapt to changes in the price of the underlying asset. It is frequently required to amend or modify a long call option trade as the stock price fluctuates before expiry. Effectively adjusting long calls allows traders to respond to changing conditions in order to manage risk, take profits, reduce losses, and improve trade outcomes. 

You are able to reduce your losses by rolling out the calls to a later expiration date if the stock price drops after you enter the calls. This gives the stock more time to recover. You could choose to close the calls in order to take profits if the stock price quickly rises to or above the strike price. As expiration approaches, time decay accelerates, which leads to losing the entire premium paid for the calls. This is avoided by rolling the calls out in time. The trade loses leverage if implied volatility declines significantly after the transaction is entered. To offset this, you roll the calls up or down to a different strike price to maintain the desired leverage.

Adjusting and managing long call positions is an essential element of successful options trading. As conditions change, traders apply creative strategies to roll, hedge, take profits, limit losses, and re-establish call option trades at better strikes and expiration dates. Maintaining proper position sizing, balancing upside potential and downside risk, and aligning with prevailing market conditions are keys to effectively adjusting long call trades.

What Does Synthetic Long Call Mean?

A synthetic long call is an options strategy that replicates the payout of a regular long call option through other instruments. It combines a long position in the underlying stock with a long put option on that same stock. Together, these two legs create the same payoff, profit potential, and Greeks as a simple long call option would. Synthetic long calls allow traders to structure the same bullish trade idea in a flexible and customizable way.

A synthetic long call consists of the following.

Buying 100 shares of the underlying stock.

Buying 1 put option on the same stock.

For example, a trader could buy 100 shares of ABC stock at Rs. 50 and buy 1 ABC 50 strike put. 

The long stock provides unlimited upside if the stock rises. The long put protects against the downside below the strike price of Rs. 50, just like a long call would.

Together, this mimics a long call option with a Rs—50 strike. Maximum loss is limited to Rs. 50 put premium plus any stock loss down to Rs. 50. Maximum gain above Rs. 50 is unlimited.

Synthetic long calls allow for more customizability than regular long calls since traders pick their optimal stock prices and strike levels. They also provide a choice for expiration since the stock is held indefinitely while the put contract expiry is customizable. Unlike regular calls, synthetic long calls allow the trader to earn dividends from owning the stock shares.

They also provide more margin efficiency since the stock buying power reduction is usually less than buying a call outright. Synthetic long calls are more tax efficient as well, as stock gains are taxed at lower long-term capital gains rates if held for over one year, whereas regular call options trades are taxed at higher short-term rates.

Additionally, synthetic positions sometimes provide early exercise rights, allowing the trader to close the position at any time. Overall, the increased flexibility in structure and other benefits make synthetic versions a preferable strategy over regular long-call options in many situations.

Synthetic long calls are managed similarly to regular long call positions. Traders buy to open the stock and put legs, then sell to close the position to take profits or limit losses. Stop loss orders on the stock and put them used. Rolling the put-out in time or up in strike price is possible as the stock trends lower. 

Synthetic long calls use a stock-plus-put combination to simulate long call payoff. The strategy offers more versatility at the cost of greater complexity and commission costs than regular calls. For seasoned options traders, synthetic long calls provide innovative choices when utilized appropriately.

How Does Rolling Long Call Work?

Rolling a long call position involves closing out an existing call option that is losing value and opening a new call option at a different strike price and/or expiration date for a net credit or debit. Rolling aims to salvage a struggling call position by adjusting it to account for changing market conditions. 

One common situation where traders roll long calls is when the underlying stock price has fallen significantly below the current call strike price. In this case, rolling the call option to a higher strike price helps restore the trader’s upside exposure. Another scenario is when time decay has accelerated as expiration approaches. Rolling the call out to a longer-dated expiration delays the impact of time decay.

Rolling long calls is also useful when implied volatility has contracted after initially establishing the position. Rolling to further dated calls allows traders to capture higher volatility again. Finally, when a long call is nearing expiration but still has intrinsic value remaining, rolling allows the trader to continue the directional bet instead of closing the position. Overall, rolling long call options help traders adjust and maintain positions in response to price movements, volatility shifts, and time decay.

The most common long call roll is “up and out” – closing the current call and selling a new call at a higher strike price and further out expiration. This locks in a loss up to the original call’s premium paid, but finances open the new higher strike call.

For example, an initial 50-strike call is rolled up and out to a 60-strike call in a later month at a net debit. This extends upside exposure at the new higher price level.

Long calls are also rolled for a credit or debit. The initial call is closed, and a new one is started at a net credit if there is still time left in it. Paying a debit to enter a new call while rolling is necessary if the previous call is worthless.

While less common, long calls are also rolled down and out to double down on the view by lowering the strike price while extending expiration. This adds risk and requires a debit.

Once rolled, the new long call position is managed with the same principles as regular long calls – defining upside targets, limiting losses, and planning exit strategies. Rolling long calls should align with the overall market thesis.

How Does Hedging Long Call Work?

Hedging a long call position works when another options trade or financial instrument reduces the directional risk exposure of the original call option. Hedging strategies allow long-call traders to protect against unexpected downside moves in the underlying stock. Hedging also reduces the profit potential if the stock rises. The goal is to balance limiting losses versus capping upside. 

One straightforward way to hedge long stock call options is to purchase protective puts. Buying out-of-the-money (OTM) put options on the same underlying stock limits the downside risk below the put strike price. Another hedging method is using collars, which involves selling OTM call options against the long stock call. This caps the upside profit potential if the stock rises above the short call strike.

The premium income from the short call also offsets the original premium paid for the long call. Turning the long call into a call debit or credit spread by selling another call option reduces maximum profit but lowers the net premium cost as a way to hedge. Purchasing index put options provides broader market protection and sometimes hedges against sector or market declines impacting the individual stock. Finally, traders place stop-loss orders on the long stock call to trigger an automatic exit if the stock price falls below a defined level, capping losses from the call option.

Hedging long call positions define and limit the maximum loss on the trade. Strategies like protective puts or collars cap the downside risk if the underlying stock price declines. Hedging also provides downside protection from unexpected broader market drops that could impact the stock price. Since hedged calls have reduced directional bias compared to outright long calls, they lower the overall market exposure of the options position.

Traders implement hedges like call credit spreads or collars to lower the cost basis and margin requirements for entering call trades. Additionally, hedging allows riding out short-term retracements and volatility in the underlying stock price instead of exiting the long call position. The defined and limited risk, along with other benefits, make hedging suitable for moderating the risks associated with outright long-call options.

A trader’s first consideration when entering a hedged long-call transaction is how much risk to assume. This represents all of the position or only a fraction of it. They weigh the reduced upside potential from the hedge against the downside protection benefits to determine appropriate sizing. Traders also factor in the hedging costs in relation to the risk management benefits. Once in a hedged trade, managing both sides is crucial.

Traders leg in and out of hedge positions, rolling and adjusting hedges as market conditions change. Choosing the hedging instrument involves identifying appropriate timing and strike price levels for the hedge. Over the holding period, traders should reevaluate whether to stay hedged, remove the hedge entirely, or re-hedge based on the risk profile. Actively managing these dynamics allows for maximizing the hedging benefits while minimizing the impact on upside call exposure.

Hedging is a key strategy to mitigate downside risk on long stock call positions, using various options and instruments to establish defined risk parameters. Implemented thoughtfully, hedging allows maintaining long stock call exposure while insuring against adverse price swings.

How to Calculate the Long Call Options Profit?

Below are the five steps to calculate profit or loss on a long call option position.

1. Gather the inputs

Stock price at expiration 

Strike price of the call option

Premium paid to purchase the call option

Number of call option contracts purchased

2. Calculate the intrinsic value

Stock price > strike price, intrinsic value = stock price – strike price

Stock price ≤ strike price, intrinsic value = Rs. 0

3. Calculate profit or loss per contract

Profit = Max(intrinsic value – premium paid, Rs. 0) 

Loss = Premium paid – Max(intrinsic value, Rs. 0)

4. Calculate total profit or loss

Multiply profit or loss per contract by the number of contracts purchased

5. Examples

Bought 1 ABC 50 call for Rs. 200 premium. ABC’s stock price at expiration is Rs. 55.

Intrinsic value = 55 – 50 = Rs. 5 

Profit per contract = 5 – 2 = Rs. 3

Total profit = 3 x 1 contract = Rs. 300

Bought 1 XYZ 60 call for Rs. 300 premium. XYZ stock price at expiration is Rs. 58.

Intrinsic value = 0 since stock price below strike 

Loss per contract = 3 – 0 = Rs. 300

Total loss = 300 x 1 contract = Rs. 300

This outlines the key steps in calculating P&L on long-call positions. The maximum loss is the premium paid, and the maximum profit is unlimited to the upside.

Is Call Option A Safe Alternative for Long Calls?

Yes, buying call options is a safer alternative to buying the underlying stock outright for a bullish trade. With a long call, the maximum loss is limited to the premium paid to buy the call. Buying the stock sometimes results in larger potential losses. Calls allow controlling the same amount of the underlying stock for less upfront capital—more upside exposure with less money invested.

Maximum loss is known at entry with a call option purchase. Stock losses are unlimited.

Long-term call gains are taxed at lower 60/40 capital gains rates vs short-term stock gains.

However, options have time decay, which steadily erodes their value as expiration approaches. Stock positions do not have time decay.

Is Long Call Bullish?

Yes, long calls are a bullish trading strategy. Purchasing calls are based on the expectation that the underlying stock will rise significantly above the strike price prior to the option expiring.

Maximum profit occurs when the stock rises far above the strike. Buying calls provides leveraged upside exposure similar to owning the stock, with a much lower capital outlay. The breakeven point for profit is strike plus premium paid. Long calls benefit from rising implied volatility as well. The bullish bias is why this is a popular strategy for speculating on upside momentum in a stock.

Arjun Remesh

Head of Content

Arjun is a seasoned stock market content expert with over 7 years of experience in stock market, technical & fundamental analysis. Since 2020, he has been a key contributor to Strike platform. Arjun is an active stock market investor with his in-depth stock market analysis knowledge. Arjun is also an certified stock market researcher from Indiacharts, mentored by Rohit Srivastava.

Shivam Gaba

Reviewer of Content

Shivam is a stock market content expert with CFTe certification. He is been trading from last 8 years in indian stock market. He has a vast knowledge in technical analysis, financial market education, product management, risk assessment, derivatives trading & market Research. He won Zerodha 60-Day Challenge thrice in a row. He is being mentored by Rohit Srivastava, Indiacharts.