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Covered call calculator

Estimate income, cap, and downside breakeven

A covered call combines long stock with a short call. This calculator shows premium income, capped upside, downside breakeven, and likely assignment at expiration.

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What this calculator solves

Covered calls can turn stock holdings into premium income, but they also cap upside above the short call strike. The calculator keeps the trade-off visible before you compare it with other option structures.

Formula

Maximum profit equals (strike - stock cost + call premium) x shares when the strike is above the stock cost. Downside breakeven equals stock cost minus call premium. Expiration P/L uses the lower of stock price and strike, then adds premium.

Example

Buy 100 shares at $100 and sell a 108 call for $3. Max profit is ($108 - $100 + $3) x 100 = $1,100, while downside breakeven is $97.

Risk reminder

The premium does not remove stock downside. A sharp drop can still create large losses, and early assignment can happen around dividends or deep in-the-money calls.

Interactive calculator

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