Finance · Investing

Options Profit Calculator

Choose a call or put, long or short, then enter the strike, premium, and an assumed price of the underlying at expiration to see the profit or loss, break-even price, and intrinsic value.

Methodology reviewed Jul 14, 20262 primary sourcesHow it worksInputs stay on this device
Your inputs

Model an options position

The option's strike (exercise) price.

Premium paid or received, per share (each contract is 100 shares).

Assumed price of the underlying at expiration.

Whole number from 1 through 100,000. Each controls 100 shares.

Your inputs are calculated locally and are not stored.
High risk — education only.Options can expire worthless, and a short position can lose far more than the premium received. This tool models profit or loss at expiration only — it ignores time value, early assignment, and commissions, and is not a trading recommendation.
Profit / loss at expiration+$3,000.00

Long 2 call contracts at a $100 strike.

Break-even price
$105.00
Intrinsic value
$4,000.00
Cost basis
$1,000.00
Formula & methodology

How options profit at expiration is calculated

At expiration, an option is worth only its intrinsic value. A call is worth the amount the underlying price is above the strike; a put is worth the amount it is below. That per-share value is multiplied by 100 shares per contract and by the number of contracts. A long position profits by that intrinsic value minus the premium paid; a short position is the mirror image, keeping the premium unless the option finishes in the money.

Intrinsic (call) = max(0, Underlying − Strike) × 100 × Contracts
Intrinsic (put) = max(0, Strike − Underlying) × 100 × Contracts
Cost basis = Premium × 100 × Contracts
Profit (long) = Intrinsic − Cost basis
Profit (short) = Cost basis − Intrinsic
Break-even (call) = Strike + Premium
Break-even (put) = Strike − Premium
Strike
The option's exercise price
Premium
Price per share paid or received
Underlying
Assumed price at expiration
Contracts
Each represents 100 shares
Worked example

Long 2 call contracts, $100 strike, $5 premium, $120 underlying

Suppose you are long 2 call contracts with a $100 strike, paid $5 per share in premium, and the underlying finishes at $120 at expiration. Each call is worth 120 − 100 = $20 per share, so intrinsic value is 20 × 100 × 2 = $4,000. Cost basis is 5 × 100 × 2 = $1,000. Profit is 4,000 − 1,000 = +$3,000.00. The break-even price is 100 + 5 = $105.

This models the outcome at expiration only. It does not account for time value before expiration, early assignment, or commissions, and it is not a trading recommendation.

Assumptions

What this calculator assumes

  • Profit and loss are measured at expiration only — time value (extrinsic value) before expiration is ignored.
  • A single-leg position: one option type, one strike, and one expiration. Multi-leg spreads are not modeled.
  • Each contract represents 100 shares, the standard US equity-option multiplier.
  • No commissions, assignment fees, taxes, or early-exercise effects are included.
Common questions

Options profit FAQ

Why does this only show profit at expiration?

Before expiration, an option also carries time value, which depends on volatility, interest rates, and time remaining and requires a pricing model to estimate. This tool deliberately keeps to the simpler, exact case at expiration, where an option is worth only its intrinsic value.

How risky is a short options position?

A short position can lose far more than the premium received. A short call has theoretically unlimited loss if the underlying keeps rising, and a short put can lose down to the strike. Short options are considered high-risk and are not suitable for all investors.

Primary sources

Sources and review notes

  1. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor.gov — Options
  2. FINRA — Options investor education

Methodology last checked Jul 14, 2026. Formula implementation is covered by deterministic unit tests. No financial professional review is claimed yet.