Calendar Spread
Computes the net debit of a calendar spread, also called a horizontal spread: selling a short-dated option and buying a longer-dated one at the same strike. The strategy exploits the fact that the short option loses value to time (theta) faster than the longer one. The result is the cost of setting up the position. Enter the premium of the short option sold and that of the long option bought.
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Calendar Spread
Computes the net debit of a calendar spread, also called a horizontal spread: selling a short-dated option and buying a longer-dated one at the same strike. The strategy exploits the fact that the short option loses value to time (theta) faster than the longer one. The result is the cost of setting up the position. Enter the premium of the short option sold and that of the long option bought.
Betting on time, not on price
The calendar spread is one of the few strategies that profit mainly from the passage of time. You sell a short-dated option and buy a longer-dated one at the same strike. The idea: the short option melts to theta faster than the long one, and that difference in speed becomes profit if the asset stays near the strike.
Since you buy the pricier option (the long one) and sell the cheaper one (the short one), the setup costs a net debit. That debit is your maximum risk. The ideal scenario is the asset finishing right near the strike at the short option's expiry, leaving the long one still with plenty of value. It's a sideways-market strategy, also sensitive to volatility.
Enter the premium of the short option sold and that of the long option bought. The tool returns the position's net debit. Remember the final outcome depends on where the asset is and how volatility behaves at the short leg's expiry, so this cost is the starting point of the analysis, not the guaranteed result.
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The results provided by this tool are for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute professional, financial, medical, legal, tax or accounting advice. Always confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and official sources.