What Is a Bull Butterfly Spread?
A Bull Butterfly Spread is a neutral-to-slightly bullish options strategy that combines both a bull spread and a bear spread using Call options.
- Risk: Limited
- Reward: Limited
- Cost: Cheaper than buying naked Calls
- Best Use Case: When you expect the underlying to expire close to a specific level (middle strike).
🔹 How It Works
You use 3 Call options with the same expiry but different strike prices:
- Buy 1 Lower Strike Call (ITM)
- Sell 2 Middle Strike Calls (ATM or near ATM)
- Buy 1 Higher Strike Call (OTM)
🔹 Example
- Underlying: Nifty at 20,000
- Setup: Bull Call Butterfly
- Buy 19,800 CE at ₹300
- Sell 2 × 20,000 CE at ₹200 each (₹400 total received)
- Buy 20,200 CE at ₹100
Net Premium Paid = 300 – 400 + 100 = ₹0
(sometimes a small debit, sometimes a small credit)
🔹 Payoff Scenarios
- If Nifty closes at 20,000 (Middle Strike)
- 19,800 CE = ₹200 intrinsic value
- 20,000 CEs = expire worthless
- 20,200 CE = expire worthless
- Profit = ₹200 – Net Premium Paid = ₹200 (Max Profit)
- If Nifty closes below 19,800
- All options expire worthless
- Loss = Net Premium Paid (small or zero)
- If Nifty closes above 20,200
- 19,800 CE = ₹400 intrinsic value
- 20,000 CEs = 2 × ₹200 = ₹400 loss
- 20,200 CE = worthless
- Net = Breakeven (no profit/loss)
🔹Strategy Summary
- Market View: Neutral to Slightly Bullish
- Max Risk: Net premium paid (usually small)
- Max Profit: Occurs if price = middle strike at expiry
- Best Case: Expiry exactly at middle strike
- Worst Case: Expiry below lower strike or above higher strike