SZK P&L Curve
ProShares - UltraShort Consumer Staples (SZK) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Asset Management - Leveraged industry, with a market capitalization near $719,684, listed on AMEX, carrying a beta of -0.96 to the broader market. ProShares UltraShort Consumer Staples seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to two times the inverse (-2x) of the daily performance of the S&P Consumer Staples Select Sector Index. public since 2007-02-01.
A profit/loss curve charts the theoretical gain or loss of an options position across a range of underlying prices. It helps traders visualize risk, identify breakeven points, and compare strategies before committing capital.
- Exchange
- AMEX
- Sector
- Financial Services
- Industry
- Asset Management - Leveraged
- Market Cap
- $719.7K
- IPO Date
- 2007-02-01
- Beta
- -0.96
At the current $10.78 spot price with 23.7% ATM implied volatility and 34 days to the front expiration, an at-the-money long straddle carries an approximate combined premium near $0.62, producing breakevens at roughly $10.16 and $11.40. Market-implied 1-standard-deviation range extends from $10.05 to $11.51, which sets the relevant P&L evaluation window for most near-term strategies. Payoff diagrams should be rebuilt from the live options chain; the preceding values are illustrative and assume a single at-the-money straddle for reference.
Frequently asked SZK pl curve questions
- What does a SZK ATM straddle cost today?
- Using current SZK pricing (23.7% ATM IV, 34-day front expiration, $10.78 spot), an at-the-money long straddle (long call + long put at the same strike) carries an approximate combined premium near $0.62 per spread. Breakevens land at roughly $11.40 on the upside and $10.16 on the downside. The estimate uses the Brenner-Subrahmanyam approximation for at-the-money options under Black-Scholes.
- How do I read an options P&L curve?
- An options P&L curve plots theoretical position value at expiration (or at any chosen evaluation date) against the underlying price. The X-axis is the underlying price scenario, the Y-axis is position dollar P&L. The shape of the curve tells you the strategy's directional sensitivity, breakeven points, maximum profit and loss levels, and where time decay or volatility shifts will be most impactful. Multi-leg structures combine the curves of the individual legs to produce composite payoff diagrams.
- What's the difference between a P&L curve and a payoff diagram?
- Strictly: a payoff diagram shows option value at expiration (no time premium left), while a P&L curve typically shows position value at any evaluation date (with remaining time premium). The expiration payoff diagram has kinks at the strikes; the early P&L curve is smooth. For directional-vega trades, the early P&L curve also responds to IV shifts that the expiration payoff diagram does not capture - which is why options traders often look at both views.
- Why are illustrative SZK P&L numbers approximate?
- The numbers above use Black-Scholes assumptions (lognormal returns, constant volatility, no early exercise, no dividends). Real-world option prices reflect skew, term structure, jump risk, and (for US-style options) early exercise premium. Use the live options chain for actual quoted bid/ask prices when sizing trades; the values here illustrate magnitude only.