Free Non-Directional Trading Strategies Template | Corporate Finance Institute

Published June 25, 2019

Read Time 2 minutes

Over 2.8 million + professionals use CFI to learn accounting, financial analysis, modeling and more. Unlock the essentials of corporate finance with our free resources and get an exclusive sneak peek at the first module of each course. Start Free

What is the Non-Directional Trading Strategies Template?

The non-directional trading strategies template allows users to determine the profit when buying options. This template focuses on non-directional strategies that bet on the volatility of the market to create profit. These strategies usually include a combination of call and put options. The profit of the strategies depends on the spot price and the cost of the option premiums. Numbers of strike prices, net premiums, and spot prices can all be altered.

Here is a quick preview of CFI’s non-directional trading strategies template.

Download the Free Template

Overview of Non-directional Trading Strategies

Non-directional trading strategies are bets on the volatility of the underlying asset. A straddle or strangle strategy is used by investors if they believe there will be high volatility in the asset prices. However, if they believe there will be low volatility, then they will create a butterfly spread. All strategies are created by using either call or put options.

Butterfly spread using calls

Investors use a butterfly spread when they think there will be little volatility in the price. Butterfly spread using calls are made by combining a bull call spread and a bear call spread. The bull call has strike prices of K1 and K2, and the bear call has strike prices of K2 and K3. This is also the same as buying a call with K1, a call with K3 and selling two calls with a strike price of K2.

Butterfly spread using puts

Butterfly spread using puts is also a bet on low volatility of the price. This trading strategy is made with a bull put spread and bear put spread. The bull put spread has strike prices of K1 and K2, and the bear put spread has strike prices of K2 and K3. This is also the same as buying a put with K1, a put with K2, and selling two puts with a strike price of K2.

Straddle

Investors use the straddle strategy when they believe the price of the underlying asset will be volatile. This is made with a call and put option with the same strike price. If premiums are not considered,  then investors will receive a profit if the spot price is either bigger or smaller than the strike price.

Strangle

A strangle strategy is similar to a straddle as both rely on the volatility of the market. It is also made with the purchase of a call and put option. However, a strangle costs less than a straddle. This is because the put option has a lower strike price, and the call option has a higher strike price.

Why Does It Matter?

Non-directional trading strategies template help investors limit their risk, decrease costs, and predict the cash flow with greater accuracy. These strategies also allow investors to make investment decisions based on their market predictions.

Additional Resources

For more resources, check out CFI’s Business Templates Library to download numerous free Excel modeling, PowerPoint presentations, and Word document templates. See also our financial modeling resources and Excel resources.