Bear Call Ladder

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Short call spread + one more long call higher. Profits on a big rally or a fade.

Payoff shape at expiration (illustrative)

Shape illustration on a normalized underlying — open the Lab below to price it on a real option chain.

How it works

Sell a call spread and buy one more call higher up. Despite the name, it profits from a BIG rally (the extra long call) or a fade below the short strike (the credit) — losing in the middle zone.

When to use it

When a stock will either break out hard or fail at resistance — you get paid either way, and only the half-hearted rally hurts.

What can go wrong

Maximum loss sits between the middle and top strikes at expiration. Defined, but reached in the most common scenario: a modest grind higher.

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Educational content — not investment advice. Options involve substantial risk and are not suitable for every investor. All trading on Opus Options Trading is simulated.