MPLT Butterfly Strategy
MPLT (MapLight Therapeutics, Inc.), in the Healthcare sector, (Biotechnology industry), listed on NASDAQ.
MapLight Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm dedicated to developing innovative treatments for individuals grappling with severe central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Its pipeline features several promising therapeutic candidates: ML-007C-MA, a fixed-dose combination of an M1/M4 muscarinic agonist, is being advanced to address symptoms of schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease psychosis. Additionally, the company is investigating ML-004 for its potential to alleviate social communication deficits and irritability associated with autism spectrum disorder, while ML-021 is designed to target motor impairments seen in Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, ML-009, a G-protein-coupled receptor 52 positive allosteric modulator, is under development for conditions involving hyperactivity, impulsivity, and agitation. Beyond its drug portfolio, MapLight has also established a proprietary platform focused on identifying neural circuits fundamentally linked to disease and then precisely modulating these circuits for therapeutic benefit. Established in 2018 under its former name, Alvarado Therapeutics, Inc., the company adopted the MapLight Therapeutics, Inc. identity in August 2019.
MPLT (MapLight Therapeutics, Inc.) trades in the Healthcare sector, specifically Biotechnology, with a market capitalization of approximately $26.3M, a beta of 2.34 versus the broader market, a 52-week range of 12.24-34.37, average daily share volume of 349K, a public-listing history dating back to 2025, approximately 109 full-time employees. These structural characteristics shape how MPLT stock options price implied volatility around earnings windows, capital events, and macro-driven sector rotations.
A beta of 2.34 indicates MPLT has historically moved more than the broader market, amplifying both the directional payoff and the realized volatility relative to an index-equivalent position.
What is a butterfly on MPLT?
A long call butterfly buys one lower-strike call, sells two ATM calls, and buys one higher-strike call, paying a small net debit for a defined-risk position that maxes out if the underlying pins the middle strike at expiration.
Current MPLT snapshot
As of June 30, 2026, spot at $36.41, ATM IV 152.90%, expected move 43.84%. The butterfly on MPLT below is built from the same end-of-day chain, with strikes snapped to listed contracts and premiums pulled from the bid/ask midpoint at a 17-day expiry.
Why this butterfly structure on MPLT specifically: IV rank is unavailable in the current snapshot, so regime-based timing for MPLT is inferred from ATM IV at 152.90% alone, with a market-implied 1-standard-deviation move of approximately 43.84% (roughly $15.96 on the underlying). The 17-day window matched to the front-month expiry keeps theta exposure bounded while still capturing the post-snapshot move; longer-dated MPLT expiries trade a higher absolute premium for lower per-day decay. Position sizing on MPLT should anchor to the underlying notional of $36.41 per share and to the trader's directional view on MPLT stock.
MPLT butterfly setup
The MPLT butterfly below is built from the end-of-day chain, with each option leg priced at the bid/ask midpoint of its listed strike. With MPLT near $36.41, the first option leg uses a $34.59 strike; additional legs (when the strategy has them) anchor to spot-relative offsets. Premiums come from the bid/ask midpoint on the listed MPLT chain at a 17-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 MPLT shares for the stock leg in covered calls and collars).
| Action | Type | Strike / Basis | Premium (est) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy 1 | Call | $34.59 | N/A |
| Sell 2 | Call | $36.41 | N/A |
| Buy 1 | Call | $38.23 | N/A |
MPLT butterfly risk and reward
- Net Premium / Debit
- N/A
- Max Profit (per contract)
- Unbounded
- Max Loss (per contract)
- Unbounded
- Breakeven(s)
- None on modeled curve
- Risk / Reward Ratio
- N/A
Max profit equals the wing width minus net debit times 100 (reached when the underlying pins the middle strike); max loss equals the net debit times 100. Two breakevens at lower-wing plus debit and upper-wing minus debit.
MPLT butterfly payoff curve
Modeled P&L at expiration across a range of underlying prices for the butterfly on MPLT. 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.
When traders use butterfly on MPLT
Butterflies on MPLT are pinning bets - traders use them when they expect MPLT to settle near a specific level at expiration (often the prior close, a round number, or the max-pain strike) and want defined-risk exposure to that outcome.
MPLT thesis for this butterfly
The market-implied 1-standard-deviation range for MPLT extends from approximately $20.45 on the downside to $52.37 on the upside. A MPLT long call butterfly is a pinning play: it pays maximum at the middle strike if MPLT settles there at expiration, with the wing legs capping both the cost and the maximum loss to the net debit. As a Healthcare name, MPLT options can move on sector-level news flow (peer earnings, regulatory updates, industry-specific macro data) in addition to MPLT-specific events.
MPLT butterfly positions are structurally neutral / pin (limited-risk, limited-reward); 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. MPLT positions also carry Healthcare sector concentration risk; news flow inside the sector (peer earnings, regulatory shifts, supply-chain headlines) can move MPLT alongside the broader basket even when MPLT-specific fundamentals are unchanged. Always rebuild the position from current MPLT chain quotes before placing a trade.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a butterfly on MPLT?
- A butterfly on MPLT is the butterfly strategy applied to MPLT (stock). The strategy is structurally neutral / pin (limited-risk, limited-reward): A long call butterfly buys one lower-strike call, sells two ATM calls, and buys one higher-strike call, paying a small net debit for a defined-risk position that maxes out if the underlying pins the middle strike at expiration. With MPLT stock trading near $36.41, the strikes shown on this page are snapped to the nearest listed MPLT chain strike and the premiums come straight from the end-of-day bid/ask midpoint.
- How are MPLT butterfly max profit and max loss calculated?
- Max profit equals the wing width minus net debit times 100 (reached when the underlying pins the middle strike); max loss equals the net debit times 100. Two breakevens at lower-wing plus debit and upper-wing minus debit. For the MPLT butterfly priced from the end-of-day chain at a 30-day expiry (ATM IV 152.90%), the computed maximum profit is unbounded per contract and the computed maximum loss is unbounded per contract. Live intraday quotes will differ as the chain moves through the trading session.
- What is the breakeven for a MPLT butterfly?
- The breakeven for the MPLT butterfly priced on this page is no defined breakeven on the modeled curve at expiration, derived from end-of-day chain premiums. Breakeven is the underlying price at which the strategy's P&L crosses zero ignoring transaction costs and assignment risk. The current MPLT market-implied 1-standard-deviation expected move is approximately 43.84%; if the move sits well outside the breakeven distance, the structure's risk-reward becomes correspondingly tighter.
- When should you consider a butterfly on MPLT?
- Butterflies on MPLT are pinning bets - traders use them when they expect MPLT to settle near a specific level at expiration (often the prior close, a round number, or the max-pain strike) and want defined-risk exposure to that outcome.
- How does current MPLT implied volatility affect this butterfly?
- Current MPLT ATM IV is 152.90%; IV rank context is unavailable in the current snapshot.