Options Profit Calculator
Work out the profit or loss at expiry on a single-leg option — long or short call or put — from the strike, premium, contracts and the underlying price, with the breakeven and maximum loss.
How it works
Call intrinsic = max(0, underlying − strike) · Put intrinsic = max(0, strike − underlying) · Long P/L per share = intrinsic − premium · Short P/L per share = premium − intrinsic · Total = P/L per share × 100 × contracts · Breakeven: call = strike + premium, put = strike − premium
At expiry an option is worth only its intrinsic value: a call is worth whatever the stock sits above the strike, a put whatever it sits below, and nothing otherwise. Your profit is that intrinsic value versus the premium you paid or received. A buyer (long) pays the premium up front, so the most they can lose is that premium, while their upside is large — unlimited for a call. A seller (short) collects the premium as their maximum gain but takes on the mirror-image risk: capped for a short put (the stock can only fall to zero) but theoretically unlimited for a short call. Every contract controls 100 shares, so the per-share figure is multiplied by 100 and by the number of contracts.
Worked example
Buy 1 long call at a $100 strike for a $3 premium, and the stock finishes at $110. The call’s intrinsic value is max(0, 110 − 100) = $10, so the profit per share is 10 − 3 = $7. Across one contract of 100 shares that is 7 × 100 = $700, and the position breaks even at 100 + 3 = $103. The most this trade could have lost was the $300 premium, had the stock closed at or below $100.
Sources: Option (finance) — Wikipedia
Frequently asked questions
Why multiply by 100?
A standard equity option contract represents 100 shares of the underlying stock. So a per-share profit of $7 on one contract is worth $700, and quoted premiums — like $3 per share — cost $300 for one contract. Multiply the per-share result by 100 and then by the number of contracts.
How is breakeven calculated?
For a call, the stock must rise enough to recover the premium, so breakeven is strike + premium. For a put, the stock must fall that far, so breakeven is strike − premium. At the breakeven price the option’s intrinsic value exactly equals what you paid, and profit is zero.
Why can a short call lose an unlimited amount?
A short call obligates you to sell the stock at the strike no matter how high it goes. Because a stock’s price has no upper bound, the loss on a naked short call has no ceiling — you could be forced to buy at a very high market price to deliver at the low strike. A short put’s loss is capped only because the stock can fall no further than zero.
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Educational estimate, not investment, tax or financial advice. Option prices and returns are never guaranteed and past performance does not predict the future. Confirm figures with a licensed advisor.