PYXS Straddle Strategy
PYXS (Pyxis Oncology, Inc.), in the Healthcare sector, (Biotechnology industry), listed on NASDAQ.
Pyxis Oncology, Inc., a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of therapies to treat cancers. Its immune-oncology product candidates include PYX-106, an investigational fully human immunoglobulin G1 isotype siglec-15 targeting antibody for the treatment of thyroid cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and other solid tumors; and PYX-102, an investigational immune-therapeutic for treatment of solid tumors. The company's antibody drug conjugate (ADC) product candidates comprise of PYX-201, an investigational novel ADC to treat NSCLC, breast cancer, and other solid tumors; PYX-202, an investigational novel ADC for treatment of SCLC, soft tissue sarcoma, and other solid tumors; and PYX-203, an investigational ADC for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and myeloid dysplastic syndrome. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
PYXS (Pyxis Oncology, Inc.) trades in the Healthcare sector, specifically Biotechnology, with a market capitalization of approximately $164.6M, a beta of 1.43 versus the broader market, a 52-week range of 0.97-5.55, average daily share volume of 422K, a public-listing history dating back to 2021, approximately 44 full-time employees. These structural characteristics shape how PYXS stock options price implied volatility around earnings windows, capital events, and macro-driven sector rotations.
A beta of 1.43 indicates PYXS 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 PYXS?
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 PYXS snapshot
As of May 15, 2026, spot at $2.25, ATM IV 199.60%, IV rank 46.44%, expected move 57.22%. The straddle on PYXS 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 34-day expiry.
Why this straddle structure on PYXS specifically: PYXS IV at 199.60% is mid-range versus its 1-year history, so strategy selection should anchor more to the directional thesis than to the IV regime, with a market-implied 1-standard-deviation move of approximately 57.22% (roughly $1.29 on the underlying). The 34-day window matched to the front-month expiry keeps theta exposure bounded while still capturing the post-snapshot move; longer-dated PYXS expiries trade a higher absolute premium for lower per-day decay. Position sizing on PYXS should anchor to the underlying notional of $2.25 per share and to the trader's directional view on PYXS stock.
PYXS straddle setup
The PYXS 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 PYXS near $2.25, the first option leg uses a $2.25 strike; additional legs (when the strategy has them) anchor to spot-relative offsets. Premiums come from the bid/ask midpoint on the listed PYXS chain at a 34-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 PYXS shares for the stock leg in covered calls and collars).
| Action | Type | Strike / Basis | Premium (est) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy 1 | Call | $2.25 | N/A |
| Buy 1 | Put | $2.25 | N/A |
PYXS straddle 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
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.
PYXS straddle payoff curve
Modeled P&L at expiration across a range of underlying prices for the straddle on PYXS. 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 straddle on PYXS
Straddles on PYXS are pure-volatility plays that profit from large moves in either direction; traders typically buy PYXS straddles ahead of earnings, FDA decisions, or other catalysts where the realized move is expected to exceed the implied move priced into the chain.
PYXS thesis for this straddle
The market-implied 1-standard-deviation range for PYXS extends from approximately $0.96 on the downside to $3.54 on the upside. A PYXS 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 PYXS IV rank near 46.44% is mid-range against its 1-year distribution, so the IV signal is neutral; the straddle thesis on PYXS should anchor more to the directional view and the expected-move geometry. As a Healthcare name, PYXS options can move on sector-level news flow (peer earnings, regulatory updates, industry-specific macro data) in addition to PYXS-specific events.
PYXS 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. PYXS positions also carry Healthcare sector concentration risk; news flow inside the sector (peer earnings, regulatory shifts, supply-chain headlines) can move PYXS alongside the broader basket even when PYXS-specific fundamentals are unchanged. Always rebuild the position from current PYXS chain quotes before placing a trade.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a straddle on PYXS?
- A straddle on PYXS is the straddle strategy applied to PYXS (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 PYXS stock trading near $2.25, the strikes shown on this page are snapped to the nearest listed PYXS chain strike and the premiums come straight from the end-of-day bid/ask midpoint.
- How are PYXS 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 PYXS straddle priced from the end-of-day chain at a 30-day expiry (ATM IV 199.60%), 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 PYXS straddle?
- The breakeven for the PYXS straddle 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 PYXS market-implied 1-standard-deviation expected move is approximately 57.22%; if the move sits well outside the breakeven distance, the structure's risk-reward becomes correspondingly tighter.
- When should you consider a straddle on PYXS?
- Straddles on PYXS are pure-volatility plays that profit from large moves in either direction; traders typically buy PYXS 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 PYXS implied volatility affect this straddle?
- PYXS ATM IV is at 199.60% with IV rank near 46.44%, 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.