Collar Calculator
Calculate the profit potential, max loss, and breakeven for a collar strategy. Enter your stock price, put strike, call strike, and premiums to see your hedged position at expiration.
Enter your stock price, put strike, call strike, and premiums, then click Calculate to see your collar profit potential, breakeven, and protection level.
For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Read full disclaimer
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Collar Formulas
Net Cost = (Put Premium - Call Premium) x 100 x Contracts
Max Profit = (Call Strike - Stock Price) x 100 x Contracts - Net Cost
Max Loss = (Stock Price - Put Strike) x 100 x Contracts + Net Cost
Breakeven = Stock Price + (Put Premium - Call Premium)
Return if Called Away = Max Profit / (Stock Price x 100 x Contracts) x 100
Down Protection Level = Put Strike
Worked Examples
Example 1: AAPL Collar (Net Credit)
You own 100 shares of AAPL at $150, buy a $140 put for $2.00, and sell a $160 call for $3.00.
- Net Cost = ($2.00 - $3.00) x 100 = -$100 (net credit)
- Max Profit = ($160 - $150) x 100 - (-$100) = $1,100
- Max Loss = ($150 - $140) x 100 + (-$100) = $900
- Breakeven = $150 + ($2.00 - $3.00) = $149.00
- Return if Called Away = $1,100 / $15,000 = 7.33%
Example 2: SPY Collar (Net Debit)
You own 200 shares of SPY at $450 (2 contracts), buy $430 puts for $5.00, and sell $470 calls for $4.00.
- Net Cost = ($5.00 - $4.00) x 100 x 2 = $200 (net debit)
- Max Profit = ($470 - $450) x 100 x 2 - $200 = $3,800
- Max Loss = ($450 - $430) x 100 x 2 + $200 = $4,200
- Breakeven = $450 + ($5.00 - $4.00) = $451.00
- Return if Called Away = $3,800 / $90,000 = 4.22%
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the stock price — the current price of the shares you own.
- Enter the put strike price — the strike of the protective put you plan to buy. This must be below the stock price.
- Enter the call strike price — the strike of the covered call you plan to sell. This must be above the stock price.
- Enter the put premium paid — the per-share cost of buying the protective put.
- Enter the call premium received — the per-share income from selling the covered call.
- Click Calculate — review your max profit, max loss, breakeven, and protection level to decide if the collar fits your outlook.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a collar strategy?
- A collar is an options strategy where you own stock, buy a protective put below the current price, and sell a covered call above the current price. The call premium offsets the cost of the put, creating a low-cost hedge that limits both your upside and downside within a defined range.
- When should I use a collar?
- Collars are ideal when you want to protect an existing stock position from a large decline without paying full price for a put. They work well before earnings announcements, during uncertain markets, or when you have large unrealized gains you want to protect while keeping some upside.
- What is a zero-cost collar?
- A zero-cost collar occurs when the premium received from selling the call exactly offsets the premium paid for the put, resulting in no net cost to establish the hedge. In practice, you may need to widen the call strike or narrow the put strike to achieve a true zero-cost collar.
- What happens if the stock drops below the put strike?
- If the stock falls below your put strike at expiration, your maximum loss is capped. You can exercise the put to sell shares at the put strike price. Your total loss is limited to (stock price - put strike) plus any net debit paid for the collar, regardless of how far the stock drops.
- Can I profit from a collar if the stock rises sharply?
- Your profit is capped at the call strike price. If the stock rises above the call strike, your shares will be called away at that price. You keep the gain from the stock price to the call strike, minus any net debit. For unlimited upside, consider a protective put alone instead.