Trading term
What is Covered call?
A covered call is an options strategy where you own 100 shares of a stock and sell a call option against them. You collect the premium as income; in exchange, you cap your upside at the strike. It's a popular way to generate income on shares you're happy to hold or sell.
The 'covered' part means you already own the shares the call obligates you to deliver — so unlike selling a naked call, your risk is defined. You sell a call (usually out of the money) and pocket the premium immediately. If the stock stays below the strike, the call expires worthless and you keep both the shares and the premium — pure income. If the stock rises above the strike, your shares are 'called away' (sold) at the strike; you still profit, but you miss any gains beyond it.
The trade-off is upside for income. A covered call turns a flat or mildly bullish view into cash flow: you're paid to agree to sell your shares at a higher price. The premium also cushions small declines. But it caps your gains — if the stock rockets, you're stuck selling at the strike — and it doesn't protect much against a big drop, since you still own the falling shares (minus the small premium). It shines in sideways-to-slightly-up markets.
You own the stock and sell a $55 call for $2. Gains are capped at $7 once the stock is called away above $55; the premium cushions small drops but you keep the downside if it falls.
For example
You own 100 shares bought at $50 and sell a $55 call for $2 ($200). If the stock stays below $55, you keep the $200 and your shares. If it rises to $60, your shares are called away at $55 — you make $5 of stock gain plus the $2 premium ($700), but miss the move to $60.
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Explore Premium →Why it matters to you
The covered call is the most popular income strategy in options because it's defined-risk and easy to grasp — you're simply paid to cap your upside on shares you already own. For investors holding stock in flat markets, it's a way to manufacture yield from positions that would otherwise just sit there.
⚠ You cap the upside, not the downside
Covered calls feel safe because they generate income, but the risk is asymmetric the wrong way: you give up all the big upside (the stock gets called away) while keeping most of the downside (you still own it if it crashes, cushioned only by the small premium). Selling calls on a stock you're bullish on can mean watching it soar without you.