How are WSO 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 WSO straddle priced from the end-of-day chain at a 30-day expiry (ATM IV 35.90%), the computed maximum profit is unbounded per contract and the computed maximum loss is -$3,423.36 per contract. Live intraday quotes will differ as the chain moves through the trading session.

What is the breakeven for a WSO straddle?

The breakeven for the WSO straddle priced on this page is roughly $364.40 and $435.60 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 WSO market-implied 1-standard-deviation expected move is approximately 10.29%; if the move sits well outside the breakeven distance, the structure's risk-reward becomes correspondingly tighter.

How does current WSO implied volatility affect this straddle?

WSO ATM IV is at 35.90% with IV rank near 35.45%, 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.

WSO Straddle Strategy

WSO (Watsco, Inc.), in the Industrials sector, (Industrial - Distribution industry), listed on NYSE.

Watsco, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, distributes air conditioning, heating, refrigeration equipment, and related parts and supplies. The company distributes equipment comprising residential ducted and ductless air conditioners, such as gas, electric, and oil furnaces; commercial air conditioning and heating equipment systems; and other specialized equipment. It also offers parts, including replacement compressors, evaporator coils, motors, and other component parts; and supplies, such as thermostats, insulation materials, refrigerants, ductworks, grills, registers, sheet metals, tools, copper tubing, concrete pads, tapes, adhesives, and other ancillary supplies, as well as plumbing and bathroom remodeling supplies. The company serves contractors and dealers that service the replacement and new construction markets for residential and light commercial central air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration systems. As of December 31, 2021, it operated from 671 locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, as well as exports its products to Latin America and the Caribbean Basin. Watsco, Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

WSO (Watsco, Inc.) trades in the Industrials sector, specifically Industrial - Distribution, with a market capitalization of approximately $16.99B, a trailing P/E of 31.99, a beta of 1.10 versus the broader market, a 52-week range of 323.05-494.94, average daily share volume of 468K, a public-listing history dating back to 1984, approximately 7K full-time employees. These structural characteristics shape how WSO stock options price implied volatility around earnings windows, capital events, and macro-driven sector rotations.

A beta of 1.10 places WSO roughly in line with broader market moves, so the strategy payoff and realized volatility track the index-equivalent baseline. WSO pays a dividend, which adjusts put-call parity and shifts the ex-dividend pricing across the listed chain.

What is a straddle on WSO?

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 WSO snapshot

As of May 15, 2026, spot at $404.73, ATM IV 35.90%, IV rank 35.45%, expected move 10.29%. The straddle on WSO 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 WSO specifically: WSO IV at 35.90% 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 10.29% (roughly $41.66 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 WSO expiries trade a higher absolute premium for lower per-day decay. Position sizing on WSO should anchor to the underlying notional of $404.73 per share and to the trader's directional view on WSO stock.

WSO straddle setup

The WSO 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 WSO near $404.73, the first option leg uses a $400.00 strike; additional legs (when the strategy has them) anchor to spot-relative offsets. Premiums come from the bid/ask midpoint on the listed WSO 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 WSO shares for the stock leg in covered calls and collars).

Action	Type	Strike / Basis	Premium (est)
Buy 1	Call	$400.00	$20.65
Buy 1	Put	$400.00	$14.95

WSO straddle risk and reward

Net Premium / Debit: -$3,560.00
Max Profit (per contract): Unbounded
Max Loss (per contract): -$3,423.36
Breakeven(s): $364.40, $435.60
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.

WSO straddle payoff curve

Modeled P&L at expiration across a range of underlying prices for the straddle on WSO. 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%	+$36,439.00
$89.50	-77.9%	+$27,490.31
$178.98	-55.8%	+$18,541.61
$268.47	-33.7%	+$9,592.92
$357.96	-11.6%	+$644.23
$447.44	+10.6%	+$1,184.47
$536.93	+32.7%	+$10,133.16
$626.42	+54.8%	+$19,081.85
$715.91	+76.9%	+$28,030.55
$805.39	+99.0%	+$36,979.24

When traders use straddle on WSO

Straddles on WSO are pure-volatility plays that profit from large moves in either direction; traders typically buy WSO straddles ahead of earnings, FDA decisions, or other catalysts where the realized move is expected to exceed the implied move priced into the chain.

WSO thesis for this straddle

The market-implied 1-standard-deviation range for WSO extends from approximately $363.07 on the downside to $446.39 on the upside. A WSO 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 WSO IV rank near 35.45% is mid-range against its 1-year distribution, so the IV signal is neutral; the straddle thesis on WSO should anchor more to the directional view and the expected-move geometry. As a Industrials name, WSO options can move on sector-level news flow (peer earnings, regulatory updates, industry-specific macro data) in addition to WSO-specific events.

WSO 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. WSO positions also carry Industrials sector concentration risk; news flow inside the sector (peer earnings, regulatory shifts, supply-chain headlines) can move WSO alongside the broader basket even when WSO-specific fundamentals are unchanged. Always rebuild the position from current WSO chain quotes before placing a trade.

Frequently asked questions

What is a straddle on WSO?: A straddle on WSO is the straddle strategy applied to WSO (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 WSO stock trading near $404.73, the strikes shown on this page are snapped to the nearest listed WSO chain strike and the premiums come straight from the end-of-day bid/ask midpoint.
How are WSO 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 WSO straddle priced from the end-of-day chain at a 30-day expiry (ATM IV 35.90%), the computed maximum profit is unbounded per contract and the computed maximum loss is -$3,423.36 per contract. Live intraday quotes will differ as the chain moves through the trading session.
What is the breakeven for a WSO straddle?: The breakeven for the WSO straddle priced on this page is roughly $364.40 and $435.60 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 WSO market-implied 1-standard-deviation expected move is approximately 10.29%; if the move sits well outside the breakeven distance, the structure's risk-reward becomes correspondingly tighter.
When should you consider a straddle on WSO?: Straddles on WSO are pure-volatility plays that profit from large moves in either direction; traders typically buy WSO 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 WSO implied volatility affect this straddle?: WSO ATM IV is at 35.90% with IV rank near 35.45%, 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.