Bull Put Spread: Generating Passive Income with Controlled Risk

A bull put spread is an options strategy ideal for investors with a moderately bullish outlook. It involves selling a higher strike put and buying a lower strike put on the same asset, limiting potential losses while collecting a premium. The strategy works well in stable or slightly bullish markets where the underlying asset is expected to remain above the higher strike price. By capping the downside risk with the purchased put, investors can generate income while managing risk. However, profits are limited to the premium received, making this a more conservative approach to income generation.

Strategy Overview

A bull put spread is a popular options strategy used by investors who have a moderately bullish outlook on the market or a particular stock. This strategy involves selling a put option and buying a lower strike put option on the same underlying asset with the same expiration date. By doing this, investors can limit their downside risk while still benefiting from the potential for the underlying asset's price to rise or remain stable.

1. Sell a Put Option: The investor starts by selling a put option on the asset they are targeting. This gives the buyer of the put the right to sell the asset at a predetermined price (strike price) before the option expires. By selling the option, the investor collects an upfront premium.
2. Buy a Put Option: To limit potential losses, the investor buys a put option with a lower strike price. This put option serves as a hedge in case the price of the underlying asset falls significantly.
3. Collect Premiums: The premiums collected from selling the higher strike put option are greater than the cost of buying the lower strike put option, resulting in a net credit. This net credit is the maximum potential profit for the strategy.

Outcome Scenarios:

• Stock Stays Above the Higher Strike Price: If the price of the underlying asset remains above the strike price of the sold put option, both put options expire worthless, and the investor keeps the premium as profit.
• Stock Falls Between the Strike Prices: If the asset’s price falls, but not below the lower strike price, the investor may face a loss on the sold put option. However, the loss is mitigated by the gain from the purchased put option.
• Stock Falls Below the Lower Strike Price: If the asset’s price falls below the lower strike price, the loss is limited to the difference between the strike prices minus the net premium received.

This strategy is ideal for investors with a neutral-to-bullish outlook who are willing to take on limited risk in exchange for a premium. It works well in stable or slightly bullish markets where the underlying asset is expected to remain above the higher strike price.

Learn more: The Beginner’s Guide to Options: Mastering the Fundamentals

Practical Example:

XYZ Corporation is currently trading at $50 per share. You decide to enter a bull put spread by selling a put option with a strike price of $48, expiring in one month, and buying a put option with a strike price of $45, also expiring in one month. The premium for selling the $48 put is $2, and the cost of buying the $45 put is $0.50. Your net premium is $1.50 per share.

How the possible outcomes might unfold:

• Stock Stays Above $48: If XYZ remains above $48 at expiration, both the sold and bought puts expire worthless. You keep the net premium of $1.50 per share ($150 for 100 shares) as your profit.
• Stock Falls to $47: If XYZ falls to $47, the $48 put will be exercised, resulting in a loss of $1 per share. However, the $45 put you purchased limits your loss to $3 per share, and the premium received still results in a smaller net profit.
• Stock Falls Below $45: If XYZ falls below $45, your loss is limited to $3 per share (the difference between the strike prices) minus the premium received. Your total loss would be $150 for 100 shares.

Core Principles

• Limited Risk: The bull put spread limits the investor’s potential loss, as the bought put option acts as a hedge to cap the downside risk. The worst-case scenario occurs if the asset falls significantly below the lower strike price, but the loss is still limited to the difference between the strikes minus the premium received.
• Premium Collection: The net credit received from selling the higher strike put and buying the lower strike put represents the maximum profit of the strategy. The amount of premium is influenced by the strike price difference, time to expiration, and implied volatility of the asset.
• Moderately Bullish Outlook: This strategy works best when the investor expects the price of the underlying asset to remain stable or increase moderately. If the price rises significantly, the potential profit is capped by the premium collected. If the price falls, the strategy limits the potential losses, making it a more conservative play compared to outright selling a naked put.

Learn more: The Beginner’s Guide to Options: Mastering the Fundamentals

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Limited Risk: The maximum loss is predefined and capped, offering a controlled risk profile.
• Profit Potential in Neutral-to-Bullish Markets: This strategy works well in markets where the asset price remains stable or rises moderately.
• Income Generation: By selling the put option, investors collect a premium, which provides immediate income.
• Hedge Against Larger Losses: The purchased put option provides a safety net in case of significant declines in the underlying asset's price.

Cons:

• Limited Profit Potential: The maximum profit is capped at the net premium received, which may not be significant in some cases.
• Time Decay: As with any options strategy, the value of options erodes over time, which means the strategy’s profitability is influenced by the time decay of both options.
• Requires a Moderately Bullish or Neutral View: This strategy is not suitable for bearish market conditions, as a significant decline in the asset’s price would lead to a loss.
• Complexity: The bull put spread requires the use of two options contracts, which can be more complex than simpler strategies like selling a single put option.

Market Conditions: When Is It More Likely to Perform Better

The bull put spread strategy performs best in specific market conditions:

• Moderately Bullish Markets: The strategy is most effective when the underlying asset is expected to stay above the higher strike price and rise moderately.
• Low to Moderate Volatility: In lower-volatility environments, the price of the asset is less likely to fluctuate drastically, reducing the chances of the put options being exercised.
• Range-Bound Markets: The strategy can also work in markets where the asset’s price is expected to remain within a certain range, as long as it stays above the higher strike price.

It is less effective in:

• Bear Markets: A significant decline in the asset's price can result in losses, as the strategy is designed to profit from stable or rising prices.
• Highly Volatile Markets: High volatility increases the risk of the asset's price moving beyond the strike prices, leading to larger potential losses.

Click here to check the “OPTIONS PILLARS SERIES” for further insights

Selecting the Right Underlying Asset and Contracts

When choosing the underlying asset for a bull put spread, consider the following factors:

• Stable or Moderately Bullish Stocks: Look for stocks with a history of stable or moderate price movements. Blue-chip stocks, for example, often fit this profile.
• Moderate Implied Volatility: Higher implied volatility can increase the premiums received from selling the put option, but it also increases the risk of larger price moves. Balance the need for income with the risk of price fluctuations.
• Strike Price Selection: The distance between the strike prices (the width of the spread) influences both the risk and reward of the strategy. A wider spread increases potential profit but also increases potential loss. A narrower spread provides a smaller potential profit but limits risk.

How the Bull Put Spread Fits Into a Passive Income Portfolio

The bull put spread is an effective strategy for investors who want to generate income while managing risk in a moderately bullish market. It can complement other strategies like covered calls, dividend investing, or long-term equity positions in a diversified portfolio. By limiting downside risk and providing a source of premium income, this strategy can enhance overall portfolio returns while maintaining a controlled risk profile.

Bull Put Spread Backtesting

The following data are part of the book “Financial Strategies for Passive Income”, by Michel Chiochetta, in which options strategies are backtested over a five-year period, looking to identify wheter they make sense from different perspectives, and determine if they could make a differennce in the investor's journey.

Assumptions: The investor sells a put option and buys another put option further out-of-the-money using the following strike price combinations (relative to the closing price): 10/5%, 5/0%, 0/-5%, -5/-10%, -10/-15%, -15/-20%, -20/-25%, -10/-20%, -20/-30%, and 0/-15%.

Study Rules: On the first business day of each month, all positions are re-established. For total return calculations, capital is adjusted based on the premium received and the profit or loss at option expiration. Yield is defined as the net premium received (premiums collected minus premiums paid) for one contract of options (100 shares) over the 5-year period studied.

The Total Return chart demonstrates how Bull Put Spreads effectively capitalize on equity markets' inherent upward bias. This strategy consistently generates positive returns across various market conditions, but performs exceptionally well when implemented with wide spreads (especially the 0%/-15% strike configuration). The 15% and 20% Volatility Groups show particularly strong results in this configuration

More data on this strategy and others along with their historical backtests can be found in the books “Financial Strategies for Passive Income” and “Financial Strategies for Capital Growth”.