Long Call Option Calculator
Visualize the potential profit and loss for any long call option.
Option Parameters
Key Metrics
Enter parameters and calculate to see results.
Enter parameters and calculate to view P/L chart
Free 160-Page Options Guide
Clear visuals and real examples for every essential concept.
A long call option gives you the right, but not the obligation, to buy shares at the strike price before a predetermined expiration date. It's a bullish strategy with limited risk and unlimited profit potential.
Key Characteristics
- Maximum Loss: Limited to the premium paid
- Maximum Profit: Theoretically unlimited as the stock rises
- Breakeven: Strike price + premium paid
- Best Used When: Bullish outlook with defined risk
How to Read the P/L Chart
The white line shows your profit/loss at expiration — the final outcome if you hold the option until it expires. This creates the classic "hockey stick" shape where losses are capped at the premium paid, and gains increase with the stock price.
The cyan line shows your theoretical P/L at the time of entering the trade. You can see that if the stock rises immediately after entry, you can profit even if the stock price is below the expiration breakeven price. The difference between the T+0 (entry) and Expiration line shows you time decay-how much you will lose from the passage of time through expiration.
Using This Calculator
- Stock Price: The current price of the stock at the time of entry
- Strike Price: The price at which you can buy shares with the call option
- Premium: The price you pay for the option (multiply by 100 * number of contracts for total cost/risk)
- Days to Expiration: Time remaining until the option expires
- Implied Volatility: Market's expectation of future stock price movements, as implied by the stock's option prices
Related Strategies
If you want to reduce your cost basis and are willing to cap your upside, consider a bull call spread. A bull call spread combines a long call with a short call at a higher strike, lowering your breakeven and increasing your probability of profit—at the cost of limited gains above the short strike.
