Is this a risk free options trade?

Discussion in 'Options' started by m22au, May 7, 2009.

  1. You're short the 10/11 outside strangle and long the 10/11 inside strangle, short the box.

    Consider the position as two identical payoffs; in this example, a short inside [synthetic] straddle and the long outside [natural] straddle. You can use the vertical or strangle arb, or use stock and consider the synthetic long and short.

    Short the inside for 3.75 less the $1 strike differential, leaving 2.75. Long the natural at 2.60 leaving a credit of $.15 as stated.

    The apparent edge, less commissions is the risk-premium of assignment and pinning. There is more to it, but you've omitted duration.
     
    #11     May 7, 2009
  2. m22au

    m22au

    Thank you for your feedback atticus, it's clear from your post that you know a lot more about options than me.

    The options expire in June - I think this might be what you mean by "duration" ?

    xflat mentioned assignment, which I will watch on a daily basis.

    Donnap mentioned pin risk, which means that I'll keep an eye on the situation at expiry.


     
    #12     May 7, 2009
  3. moarla

    moarla

    with 0 risk 0 gain.
     
    #13     May 7, 2009
  4. Actually the time premium on the put would include the premium to short the stock so if the stock you're talking about is a hard to borrow stock with an high premium to borrow the stock you're likely to get assigned early.
     
    #14     May 7, 2009
  5. Yeah, but the synthetic 10-long [one example] is trading above the shares [using m22au's quotes]. I'd assume it's not an issue of hard to source.
     
    #15     May 7, 2009