Calendar Spread

The calendar spread is an option income strategy used by professional traders to generate steady monthly income. It can also be used by retail traders who have educated themselves on how to properly use this strategy to not only generate cashflow – but to also benefit their overall portfolio.

The calendar spread is a theta trade – an option trade that benefits and generates profit – from the fact that options are a decaying asset. As time goes by, options decay – and the value that was initially in the option that was sold evaporates – leaving cash in the calendar spread traders pocket.

Calendar spreads can be constructed from both call options and put options. To build a calendar spread position, one sells a closer month option at a particular strike – and then purchases a further out month option at the exact same strike. This spread makes money due to the fact that the value in the closest month option deteriorates at a quicker rate then the farther out month option. This difference in the value decay of the two different month options is what helps to create the profits in these trades.

Following is an made up example of a calendar spread place on SPY: Buy 1 Aug 105 call. Sell 1 Sept 105 call.

Now while in the example above the calendar position was created using joined together months, calendar spreads can also be created with a gap between the months.

For example, rather than constructing a calendar spread using Aug and Sept month options, it could be created using a Aug month option and an Oct month option – or a Aug month option an a Nov month option.

Typically calendar spread traders will utilize this strategy when they believe the underlying vehicle they are trading will stay in a range – or will wind up on expiration day close to or right at strike price which was sold.

When you talk with some option traders, some will tell you they prefer the calendar spread strategy because they believe they are easier to manage than some of the other strategies like the iron condor, credit spread, or the butterfly spread. Regardless, the calendar spread is a great strategy to learn and have ready to use in your ‘option trading toolbox’.