ADVANCED · EXPIRATION PAYOFF

ZEBRA Calculator

Calculate ZEBRA profit, loss and breakevens using your own entry prices.

Your position

Illustrative starting values · USD

Use one stock or ETF and the same expiration for every option leg. Prices are per share.

Stock quantities are shares. Option quantities are contracts. Enter the total fees for the entire position once.

About this calculator

How to use the ZEBRA calculator

For a Call ZEBRA, buy two lower-strike in-the-money calls and sell one higher-strike near-the-money call, all expiring together. This differs from the existing Call Backspread guide, which places the two long calls above the short call.

Understanding the payoff

Results add the payoff of each displayed leg, including quantities, entry prices and fees.

These formulas describe the standard strategy before fees. The results above include the total fees entered and are calculated from your actual legs.

Worked example

With XYZ at $100, buy two $90 calls for $12 each and sell one $100 call for $4. The debit is $20 per share, or $2,000. Each long call contains $10 intrinsic value and $2 time value; the $4 received offsets the two $2 time values. At $110, the options have $3,000 net intrinsic value, so profit is $1,000. At $95, they are worth $1,000, leaving a $1,000 loss.

Read the strategy guide →

Assumptions and limits

This is an expiration payoff estimate, not a live option quote or a prediction. It assumes all option legs expire together on one stock or ETF, the stock price cannot be negative, and options settle at intrinsic value. The default multiplier is 100 shares per contract; adjust it for the contract being modeled. Early assignment, exercise decisions, dividends, interest, taxes, and slippage can change realized results. Cash requirements and broker margin are separate from maximum loss. Different expirations, futures options, and adjusted contracts with non-cash deliverables are not supported.

Method: add each leg’s intrinsic value at expiration, subtract its entry cost with the correct buy/sell sign, and subtract total fees. See Cboe’s worked spread example on Fidelity for a reference calculation.