Enter the strike, the premium you paid and the number of contracts to see the profit or loss, the break-even stock price and the most you can lose on a call or put you bought
Choose call or put, then enter the strike price, the premium you paid per share, the number of contracts and either the stock price at expiration or the price you sold the option for. Each standard equity contract covers 100 shares (FINRA), so a $2.50 premium costs $250 per contract. The calculator shows the profit or loss, the return on what you paid, the break-even stock price, the most you can lose and a profit table across stock prices.
At expiration a call is worth the stock price minus the strike (or nothing if the stock is below the strike), and a put is worth the strike minus the stock price (or nothing above the strike). Profit = that value × 100 × contracts − premium paid − fees. Buying one $50 call for $2.50 and holding it to expiration with the stock at $58: worth $800, profit $550, a 220.00% return on the $250 paid. Break-even is the strike plus the premium, $52.50. A $50 put bought for $2.50 with the stock at $44 makes $350 and breaks even at $47.50.
| Stock at expiration | Profit / loss | Return |
|---|---|---|
| $45 | $-250 | -100.00% |
| $50 | $-250 | -100.00% |
| $52.50 | $0 | 0.00% |
| $55 | $250 | 100.00% |
| $58 | $550 | 220.00% |
| $65 | $1,250 | 500.00% |
Most options are closed before they expire. Then the profit is simply (price you sold at − price you paid) × 100 × contracts − fees: selling the same call for $4.00 makes $150, a 60.00% return. The option's price before expiration includes time value, which shrinks as expiration gets closer, so it can differ a lot from the at-expiration figures in the table.
When you buy a call or a put, the most you can lose is what you paid: the premium plus fees. A bought call has no cap on the upside; a bought put makes the most if the stock falls to zero. FINRA notes that the leverage in options can bring significant losses, and that trading options requires approval from your broker. IRS Publication 550 (2025): if you sell an option before exercising it, the difference between its cost and what you receive is a capital gain or loss, short- or long-term by how long you held it; if it expires, its cost is a capital loss; if you exercise a call, its cost is added to the basis of the stock you buy. Options aren't FDIC insured.
At expiration: (stock price − strike) × 100 × contracts − premium paid − fees, or a loss of the full premium if the stock is at or below the strike. A $50 call bought for $2.50 with the stock at $58 makes $550.
At expiration: (strike − stock price) × 100 × contracts − premium paid − fees. A $50 put bought for $2.50 with the stock at $44 makes $350.
For a bought call, the strike plus the premium (plus fees per share); for a bought put, the strike minus the premium. The stock has to pass that price by expiration for the trade to make money if held that long.
A standard-size equity options contract equals 100 shares of the underlying stock (FINRA), so the quoted premium is multiplied by 100.
The premium you paid plus fees. If the option expires worthless, that whole amount is lost.
IRS Publication 550: gains and losses from selling or letting a bought option expire are capital gains or losses, short-term if held one year or less. Short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income (IRS Topic 409).
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.