The long call butterfly spread is a defined-risk, limited-profit options strategy designed for traders who expect minimal price movement in the underlying asset.
Unlike the short call butterfly, which benefits from high volatility, the long butterfly thrives when the stock price remains near a specific level at expiration.
The long call butterfly involves three components, structured around a central strike price:
- Buy 1 lower-strike ITM call
- Sell 2 ATM calls (at the target strike)
- Buy 1 higher-strike OTM call
This structure creates a net debit position, meaning the trader pays a small upfront cost to establish the trade.
The ideal outcome is for the stock to expire exactly at the short strike price, allowing the trader to capture maximum profit.
The maximum profit is calculated as the difference between the short and long calls less the premium that you paid for the spread.
Let’s look at some examples on Tesla (TSLA) on the assumption we think the stock price will remain at this level for the next few weeks.
If we head over to the TSLA page, and then under Options Strategies choose Butterfly Spreads.
We are presented with 5 tabs representing the different types of Butterfly Spreads. Let’s stay on the Long Call Fly tab and change the expiration date to April 17th and set Show Only to Leg2 with a Strike price of 230.
Once we hit apply, we are presented with the following potential trades:
When sorting by Profit Probability, you might notice that we have very wide Butterflies at the top. These wide butterflies have wide breakeven prices but cost a lot to enter.
The Butterfly trades at the bottom are very narrow, which makes them much cheaper but with a lower Profit Probability.
Butterfly Profit/Loss Graph, Greeks etc.
If we click on the chart icon next to the expiration date, we get a pop up window where we can preview the trade and obtain all the relevant information.
The pop up window first shows the Profit and Loss graph with the breakeven prices and profit zone.
Next, we have the option greeks:
Then, we get a visual of the Expected Move:
Next, we have the volatility information:
And finally, the Trend data:
Here you can see the difference in the Profit and Loss graph compared with the first result from the table. This version has a much lower Max Loss and higher reward compared with the cost of the trade.
Final Thoughts
Butterfly spreads are a powerful tool in an options trader’s arsenal, offering defined risk, controlled reward, and flexibility in different market conditions.
Some key points to remember when it comes to Butterfly Spreads:
- Butterfly spreads work best when the underlying stays near the short strike at expiration.
- Time decay (theta) is your friend in long butterfly spreads, but rapid price movement can hurt the trade.
- Implied volatility shifts can impact profitability—higher IV benefits entry, while lower IV helps during trade management.
- Risk management is essential—have a plan for adjustments, rolling, or closing early if the trade moves against you.
If you’re new to butterfly spreads, start by paper trading to get comfortable with how the strategy behaves in different market environments. Once you gain confidence, you can incorporate butterfly spreads into your broader trading plan
Please remember that options are risky, and investors can lose 100% of their investment.
This article is for education purposes only and not a trade recommendation. Remember to always do your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
