Calendar Spread
An option strategy combining a SHORT near-month option with a LONG longer-dated option at the same strike (most commonly at-the-money). The structure is delta-neutral at entry, profits from time decay in the short leg AND from any IV rise in the long leg, and expresses a view about the SHAPE of the volatility term structure -- specifically, that longer-dated IV will rise relative to near-term IV. Maximum loss is the net debit paid; maximum gain is open-ended if longer-dated IV expands materially. Calendar spreads are the canonical structure for trading vol-curve shape rather than vol level.
Lessons that use this term
Related terms
American Option · Asian Option · Barrier Option · Basket Option · Butterfly Spread · Cash-Secured Put
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