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What is an Iron Butterfly?

The Iron Butterfly is available as a predefined strategy in the Firstock terminal. It combines a short straddle with protective wings, giving traders a defined risk and defined reward profile. It can be deployed in just a few clicks without manually entering all four legs.

πŸ”Ή Step-by-Step Deployment

  1. Login to Firstock
    • Open the Firstock web or mobile app and log in with your credentials.
  2. Open Option Chain / Strategy Watchlist
    • Navigate to the Strategy Watchlist or directly open the Option Chain for Nifty (or your chosen stock/index).
  3. Select Predefined Strategy
    • From the predefined list, choose β€œIron Butterfly (Short, Credit).”
  4. Click on Build
    • For Nifty, the system automatically selects (short straddle + wings):
      • ATM Call β†’ Sell (1 lot)
      • ATM Put β†’ Sell (1 lot)
      • ATM + 200 Call β†’ Buy (1 lot)
      • ATM – 200 Put β†’ Buy (1 lot)
  5. Save & Deploy
    • Review the strike prices, wing width, total credit, and margin requirements.
    • Click Save and Deploy to execute the strategy.

πŸ”Ή What You Get After Deployment

Once deployed, Firstock instantly provides:

  • Payoff Chart (showing profit/loss at expiry)
  • Option Greeks (Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega)
  • Breakeven Points (upper and lower)
  • Probability of Profit (POP)

βœ… Tip: The Iron Butterfly is a defined-risk, defined-reward credit strategy.

  • Max profit (β‰ˆ net credit) occurs if the underlying expires exactly at the ATM strike.
  • Max loss is capped at spread width – net credit.
  • Wing width choice matters:
    • Wider wings β†’ lower max profit, higher margin, but safer breakevens.
    • Narrower wings β†’ higher max profit, but tighter range.

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