MKSI Cash-Secured Put Strategy
MKSI (MKS Inc.), in the Technology sector, (Hardware, Equipment & Parts industry), listed on NASDAQ.
MKS Inc. (MKSI) functions as a worldwide supplier of sophisticated instruments, integrated systems, specialized components, and advanced process control solutions. The company's products are engineered to precisely measure, observe, deliver, evaluate, energize, and regulate essential operational factors within diverse manufacturing environments across the globe. Its offerings are categorized into three primary divisions: 1. Vacuum & Analysis: This segment provides cutting-edge solutions for managing pressure and vacuum, featuring both direct and indirect pressure sensing devices. It also offers material handling technologies, including flow and valve systems, alongside integrated pressure measurement and control subsystems designed for meticulous process regulation. Furthermore, it supplies power delivery apparatus such as microwave, radio frequency matching networks, and metrology tools, which are crucial for supplying energy to etching, stripping, and deposition procedures.
MKSI (MKS Inc.) trades in the Technology sector, specifically Hardware, Equipment & Parts, with a market capitalization of approximately $20.72B, a trailing P/E of 47.14, a beta of 1.98 versus the broader market, a 52-week range of 97.3-447.62, average daily share volume of 1.3M, a public-listing history dating back to 1999, approximately 10K full-time employees. These structural characteristics shape how MKSI stock options price implied volatility around earnings windows, capital events, and macro-driven sector rotations.
A beta of 1.98 indicates MKSI has historically moved more than the broader market, amplifying both the directional payoff and the realized volatility relative to an index-equivalent position. The trailing P/E of 47.14 is on the rich side, which tends to correlate with higher earnings-window IV expansion as the market debates whether forward growth supports the multiple. MKSI pays a dividend, which adjusts put-call parity and shifts the ex-dividend pricing across the listed chain.
What is a cash-secured put on MKSI?
A cash-secured put sells an out-of-the-money put while holding cash equal to the strike-times-100 obligation, keeping the premium when the underlying stays above the strike.
MKSI snapshot
As of August 14, 2026, spot at $308.86, ATM IV 63.10%, IV rank 35.79%, expected move 18.09%. The cash-secured put on MKSI below is built from the August 14, 2026 end-of-day chain, with strikes snapped to listed contracts and premiums pulled from the bid/ask midpoint at a 35-day expiry.
Why this cash-secured put structure on MKSI specifically: MKSI IV at 63.10% is mid-range versus its 1-year history, so the credit collected on a MKSI cash-secured put sits in line with its long-run distribution, with a market-implied 1-standard-deviation move of approximately 18.09% (roughly $55.87 on the underlying). The 35-day window matched to the front-month expiry keeps theta exposure bounded while still capturing the post-snapshot move; longer-dated MKSI expiries trade a higher absolute premium for lower per-day decay. Position sizing on MKSI should anchor to the underlying notional of $308.86 per share and to the trader's directional view on MKSI stock.
MKSI cash-secured put setup
The MKSI cash-secured put below is built from the August 14, 2026 end-of-day chain, with each option leg priced at the bid/ask midpoint of its listed strike. With MKSI at $308.86 on that close, the first option leg uses a $290.00 strike; additional legs (when the strategy has them) anchor to spot-relative offsets. Premiums come from the bid/ask midpoint on the listed MKSI chain at a 35-day expiry; the cross-strike IV skew is reflected directly in the per-leg values rather than approximated. Quantity sizing assumes one contract per option leg (or 100 MKSI shares for the stock leg in covered calls and collars).
| Action | Type | Strike / Basis | Premium (est) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sell 1 | Put | $290.00 | $15.40 |
MKSI cash-secured put risk and reward
- Net Premium / Debit
- +$1,540.00
- Max Profit (per contract)
- $1,540.00
- Max Loss (per contract)
- -$27,459.00
- Breakeven(s)
- $274.60
- Risk / Reward Ratio
- 0.056
Max profit equals premium times 100; max loss equals strike minus premium times 100 (at zero, assuming assignment). Breakeven is strike minus premium.
MKSI cash-secured put payoff curve
Modeled P&L at expiration across a range of underlying prices for the cash-secured put on MKSI. Each row is one sampled price point from the computed payoff curve; the full curve uses 200 price points internally before being summarized into 10 rows here.
| Underlying Price | % From Spot | P&L at Expiration |
|---|---|---|
| $0.01 | -100.0% | -$27,459.00 |
| $68.30 | -77.9% | -$20,630.05 |
| $136.59 | -55.8% | -$13,801.09 |
| $204.88 | -33.7% | -$6,972.14 |
| $273.17 | -11.6% | -$143.18 |
| $341.46 | +10.6% | +$1,540.00 |
| $409.75 | +32.7% | +$1,540.00 |
| $478.04 | +54.8% | +$1,540.00 |
| $546.33 | +76.9% | +$1,540.00 |
| $614.62 | +99.0% | +$1,540.00 |
When traders use cash-secured put on MKSI
Cash-secured puts on MKSI earn premium while a trader waits to acquire MKSI stock at a target strike below the current quote; most attractive when IV is rich and the trader is comfortable owning MKSI.
MKSI thesis for this cash-secured put
The market-implied 1-standard-deviation range for MKSI extends from approximately $252.99 on the downside to $364.73 on the upside. A MKSI cash-secured put lets a trader earn premium while waiting to acquire MKSI at the strike price; the strategy is most attractive when the trader is comfortable holding the underlying at that level and IV is rich enough to compensate for the assignment risk. Current MKSI IV rank near 35.79% is mid-range against its 1-year distribution, so the IV signal is neutral; the cash-secured put thesis on MKSI should anchor more to the directional view and the expected-move geometry. As a Technology name, MKSI options can move on sector-level news flow (peer earnings, regulatory updates, industry-specific macro data) in addition to MKSI-specific events.
MKSI cash-secured put positions are structurally neutral to slightly bullish; the modeled P&L assumes European-style exercise at expiration and ignores early assignment, transaction costs, dividends paid before expiry on the stock leg (when present), and the bid-ask spread on the listed chain. MKSI positions also carry Technology sector concentration risk; news flow inside the sector (peer earnings, regulatory shifts, supply-chain headlines) can move MKSI alongside the broader basket even when MKSI-specific fundamentals are unchanged. Short-premium structures like a cash-secured put on MKSI carry tail risk when realized volatility exceeds the implied move; review historical MKSI earnings reactions and macro stress periods before sizing. Always rebuild the position from current MKSI chain quotes before placing a trade.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a cash-secured put on MKSI?
- A cash-secured put on MKSI is the cash-secured put strategy applied to MKSI (stock). The strategy is structurally neutral to slightly bullish: A cash-secured put sells an out-of-the-money put while holding cash equal to the strike-times-100 obligation, keeping the premium when the underlying stays above the strike. With MKSI stock at $308.86 on the August 14, 2026 close, the strikes shown on this page are snapped to the nearest listed MKSI chain strike and the premiums come straight from that session's bid/ask midpoint.
- How are MKSI cash-secured put max profit and max loss calculated?
- Max profit equals premium times 100; max loss equals strike minus premium times 100 (at zero, assuming assignment). Breakeven is strike minus premium. For the MKSI cash-secured put priced from the August 14, 2026 end-of-day chain at a 30-day expiry (ATM IV 63.10%), the computed maximum profit is $1,540.00 per contract and the computed maximum loss is -$27,459.00 per contract. Live intraday quotes will differ as the chain moves through the trading session.
- What is the breakeven for a MKSI cash-secured put?
- The breakeven for the MKSI cash-secured put priced on this page is roughly $274.60 at expiration, derived from the August 14, 2026 end-of-day chain's premiums. Breakeven is the underlying price at which the strategy's P&L crosses zero ignoring transaction costs and assignment risk. The MKSI market-implied 1-standard-deviation expected move in the same options snapshot is approximately 18.09%; if the move sits well outside the breakeven distance, the structure's risk-reward becomes correspondingly tighter.
- When should you consider a cash-secured put on MKSI?
- Cash-secured puts on MKSI earn premium while a trader waits to acquire MKSI stock at a target strike below the current quote; most attractive when IV is rich and the trader is comfortable owning MKSI.
- How does current MKSI implied volatility affect this cash-secured put?
- MKSI ATM IV is at 63.10% with IV rank near 35.79%, which is mid-range against its 1-year history. Strategy selection depends more on directional thesis and expected move than on a strong IV signal.