PRAX Straddle Strategy
PRAX (Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc.), in the Healthcare sector, (Biotechnology industry), listed on NASDAQ.
Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical firm operating at the clinical stage, dedicated to creating innovative treatments for central nervous system (CNS) conditions that stem from an imbalance in neuronal activity. The company's primary investigational compounds currently undergoing evaluation include: PRAX-114, an extrasynaptic-preferring positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, which is currently in Phase IIa clinical trials for addressing both major depressive disorder and perimenopausal depression. Additionally, PRAX-944, a small molecule designed to selectively inhibit T-type calcium channels, is also progressing through Phase IIa clinical trials to manage essential tremor. Beyond these, Praxis is also advancing a pipeline of other promising drug candidates, such as: PRAX-562, a persistent sodium current blocker, undergoing Phase I clinical evaluation for treating severe pediatric epilepsy and adult cephalgia (headaches). PRAX-222, an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) aimed at individuals suffering from gain-of-function (GOF) SCN2A epilepsy. And a program targeting KCNT1 for the treatment of KCNT1 GOF epilepsy.
PRAX (Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc.) trades in the Healthcare sector, specifically Biotechnology, with a market capitalization of approximately $6.93B, a beta of 2.75 versus the broader market, a 52-week range of 37.19-366.52, average daily share volume of 460K, a public-listing history dating back to 2020, approximately 116 full-time employees. These structural characteristics shape how PRAX stock options price implied volatility around earnings windows, capital events, and macro-driven sector rotations.
A beta of 2.75 indicates PRAX 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 straddle on PRAX?
A long straddle buys an ATM call and an ATM put at the same strike, profiting from a large move in either direction; max loss equals the combined debit when the underlying pins to the strike at expiration.
Current PRAX snapshot
As of June 26, 2026, spot at $317.58, ATM IV 56.80%, IV rank 3.17%, expected move 16.28%. The straddle on PRAX 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 straddle structure on PRAX specifically: PRAX IV at 56.80% is on the cheap side of its 1-year range, which favors premium-buying structures like a PRAX straddle, with a market-implied 1-standard-deviation move of approximately 16.28% (roughly $51.72 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 PRAX expiries trade a higher absolute premium for lower per-day decay. Position sizing on PRAX should anchor to the underlying notional of $317.58 per share and to the trader's directional view on PRAX stock.
PRAX straddle setup
The PRAX straddle below is built from the end-of-day chain, with each option leg priced at the bid/ask midpoint of its listed strike. With PRAX near $317.58, the first option leg uses a $320.00 strike; additional legs (when the strategy has them) anchor to spot-relative offsets. Premiums come from the bid/ask midpoint on the listed PRAX 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 PRAX shares for the stock leg in covered calls and collars).
| Action | Type | Strike / Basis | Premium (est) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy 1 | Call | $320.00 | $27.50 |
| Buy 1 | Put | $320.00 | $8.10 |
PRAX straddle risk and reward
- Net Premium / Debit
- -$3,560.00
- Max Profit (per contract)
- Unbounded
- Max Loss (per contract)
- -$3,478.09
- Breakeven(s)
- $284.40, $355.60
- Risk / Reward Ratio
- Unbounded
Upside max profit is unbounded; downside max profit is bounded at the strike minus the combined call plus put debit (reached at zero). Max loss equals the combined debit times 100 (reached when the underlying pins to the strike). Two breakevens at strike plus debit and strike minus debit.
PRAX straddle payoff curve
Modeled P&L at expiration across a range of underlying prices for the straddle on PRAX. 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% | +$28,439.00 |
| $70.23 | -77.9% | +$21,417.24 |
| $140.45 | -55.8% | +$14,395.48 |
| $210.66 | -33.7% | +$7,373.72 |
| $280.88 | -11.6% | +$351.96 |
| $351.10 | +10.6% | -$450.21 |
| $421.32 | +32.7% | +$6,571.55 |
| $491.53 | +54.8% | +$13,593.31 |
| $561.75 | +76.9% | +$20,615.07 |
| $631.97 | +99.0% | +$27,636.83 |
When traders use straddle on PRAX
Straddles on PRAX are pure-volatility plays that profit from large moves in either direction; traders typically buy PRAX straddles ahead of earnings, FDA decisions, or other catalysts where the realized move is expected to exceed the implied move priced into the chain.
PRAX thesis for this straddle
The market-implied 1-standard-deviation range for PRAX extends from approximately $265.86 on the downside to $369.30 on the upside. A PRAX long straddle is a pure-volatility play: it profits when the underlying moves far enough from the strike in either direction to overcome the combined call plus put debit, regardless of direction. Current PRAX IV rank near 3.17% sits in the lower third of its 1-year distribution, where IV often re-expands toward the mean; this favors premium-buying structures and disadvantages premium-selling structures on PRAX at 56.80%. As a Healthcare name, PRAX options can move on sector-level news flow (peer earnings, regulatory updates, industry-specific macro data) in addition to PRAX-specific events.
PRAX straddle positions are structurally neutral / high-volatility (long premium); 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. PRAX positions also carry Healthcare sector concentration risk; news flow inside the sector (peer earnings, regulatory shifts, supply-chain headlines) can move PRAX alongside the broader basket even when PRAX-specific fundamentals are unchanged. Always rebuild the position from current PRAX chain quotes before placing a trade.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a straddle on PRAX?
- A straddle on PRAX is the straddle strategy applied to PRAX (stock). The strategy is structurally neutral / high-volatility (long premium): A long straddle buys an ATM call and an ATM put at the same strike, profiting from a large move in either direction; max loss equals the combined debit when the underlying pins to the strike at expiration. With PRAX stock trading near $317.58, the strikes shown on this page are snapped to the nearest listed PRAX chain strike and the premiums come straight from the end-of-day bid/ask midpoint.
- How are PRAX straddle max profit and max loss calculated?
- Upside max profit is unbounded; downside max profit is bounded at the strike minus the combined call plus put debit (reached at zero). Max loss equals the combined debit times 100 (reached when the underlying pins to the strike). Two breakevens at strike plus debit and strike minus debit. For the PRAX straddle priced from the end-of-day chain at a 30-day expiry (ATM IV 56.80%), the computed maximum profit is unbounded per contract and the computed maximum loss is -$3,478.09 per contract. Live intraday quotes will differ as the chain moves through the trading session.
- What is the breakeven for a PRAX straddle?
- The breakeven for the PRAX straddle priced on this page is roughly $284.40 and $355.60 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 PRAX market-implied 1-standard-deviation expected move is approximately 16.28%; if the move sits well outside the breakeven distance, the structure's risk-reward becomes correspondingly tighter.
- When should you consider a straddle on PRAX?
- Straddles on PRAX are pure-volatility plays that profit from large moves in either direction; traders typically buy PRAX straddles ahead of earnings, FDA decisions, or other catalysts where the realized move is expected to exceed the implied move priced into the chain.
- How does current PRAX implied volatility affect this straddle?
- PRAX ATM IV is at 56.80% with IV rank near 3.17%, which is on the low end of its 1-year range. Premium-buying structures (long call, long put, debit spreads) are relatively cheap in this regime; premium-selling structures collect less credit per unit risk.