1x2 Call Ratio Spread

Directional

Buy 1 ATM call, sell 2 OTM calls — profits in moderate rallies, risks in large moves.

Risk Profile

Max Profit
Short strike − Long strike + Credit (at K2)
Max Loss
Unlimited above K2 (net short one call)
Breakeven
K1 − Credit or K2 + (K2 − K1 + Credit)
Outlook
Moderately bullish

Parameters

ParameterDefaultDescription
long_strike_pct1.00Long call strike (ATM)
short_strike_pct1.05Short call strikes (5% OTM, ×2)
dte45Days to expiration

Methodology

A 1x2 call ratio spread buys one ATM call and sells two OTM calls (105% of spot). The net credit from selling two calls offsets the ATM call cost. Maximum profit is at the short strike at expiration. Above the short strike, the extra short call creates unlimited risk. The strategy profits in moderate bullish moves and is often entered for a small credit. Backtested with 45 DTE cycles.

Implementation

# 1x2 Call Ratio Spread: buy 1 ATM call, sell 2 OTM calls
for entry in monthly_entries:
    S = spot_at_entry
    K1 = round(S / 5) * 5          # buy 1 ATM call
    K2 = round(S * 1.05 / 5) * 5  # sell 2 OTM calls
    T = 45 / 365.25

    prem_buy  = black_scholes_call(S, K1, T, r, sigma)
    prem_sell = black_scholes_call(S, K2, T, r, sigma)
    net_credit = 2 * prem_sell - prem_buy

    S_exp = spot_at_expiry
    payoff_long  = max(0, S_exp - K1)
    payoff_short = 2 * max(0, S_exp - K2)
    pnl = payoff_long - payoff_short + net_credit
    pnl_pct = pnl / prem_buy * 100  # % of ATM call cost

Backtest Performance

SymbolReturn %SharpeMax DD %Win %Avg/trade %Trades
SPY+861.4%0.30+555.8%+68.4%+45.3%19
QQQ-147.2%-0.03+1236.8%+57.9%-7.8%19
IWM-561.8%-0.20+1209.7%+36.8%-29.6%19
DIA+909.3%0.49+414.9%+57.9%+47.9%19
Avg+265.4%0.14+854.3%+55.3%19

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