CW P&L Curve
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW) operates in the Industrials sector, specifically the Aerospace & Defense industry, with a market capitalization near $27.61B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 8,900 people, carrying a beta of 0.86 to the broader market. Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW), along with its affiliated entities, delivers highly engineered products, comprehensive solutions, and a variety of services to a global client base across the aerospace, defense, general industrial, and power generation sectors. Led by Lynn Bamford, public since 1980-03-17.
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
- NYSE
- Sector
- Industrials
- Industry
- Aerospace & Defense
- Market Cap
- $27.61B
- Employees
- 8.9K
- IPO Date
- 1980-03-17
- CEO
- Lynn Bamford
- Beta
- 0.86
At the current $755.71 spot price with 37.9% ATM implied volatility and 17 days to the front expiration, an at-the-money long straddle carries an approximate combined premium near $49.45, producing breakevens at roughly $706.26 and $805.16. Market-implied 1-standard-deviation range extends from $673.60 to $837.82, 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 CW pl curve questions
- What does a CW ATM straddle cost today?
- Using current CW pricing (37.9% ATM IV, 17-day front expiration, $755.71 spot), an at-the-money long straddle (long call + long put at the same strike) carries an approximate combined premium near $49.45 per spread. Breakevens land at roughly $805.16 on the upside and $706.26 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 CW 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.