How To Sell A Call From the Chart of Underlying (Limit Order)

Selling a call places the obligation on the seller to provide 100 shares of the stock at the selected strike price. This option extends from the sell date to the selected expiration date. Below are the steps to place a limit order from the chart to sell a call option.

1. Click the Opt (options) button at the bottom of the price pane to open the Option Strategies menu

2. Select Short Call from the Menu

Alternately, click the Sell button and choose Sell to Open Call from the drop down menu

This places the On-Chart Order Ticket at the left of the chart with the fields pre-filled based on the user-defined default option sell ticket.

The order ticket contains:

  1. Contract details (action, date, option type, strike price, premium)
  2. Expiration dates (dropdown and grid)
  3. Order type
  4. Order placement
  5. Spread (natural-far)
  6. Quantity
  7. Duration
  8. OCA button
  9. Cost of trade

If no changes are desired, simply click Sell to Open Call and confirm to place the order.

3. Select Expiration Date

Change the expiration date either to closer or further dates using the arrows

Alternately, select a specific expiration date from the drop down menu

4. View available strike prices with the limit price line

Click and drag the Limit line between the available strike prices for the selected expiration date. These are represented by the hash marks at the left of the P&L Zones. Simply stop at the desired strike for the contract.

5. Select the order type desired for the contract

Either leave the order set on Limit, or select a different order type from the drop down menu.

6. Set a Limit Price (optional)

The Limit slider shows the spread between the natural (in this case, the bid) and the far (in this case, the ask). To set a price within the spread at which to place your order, click at any point on the slider. The limit value is seen in the price field next to the "Lmt" order type.

7. Use a Step to Limit order (optional)

Another way to take advantage of the spread is the Step to Limit order. Choose the Step to Limit order from the drop down menu.

Set the beginning of the slider at the limit price desired for the initial order. This will be the limit price at which the order will be entered.

You can also select any point within the spread to end the Step-to order modification.

Over the predetermined time period the limit price will be automatically modified down from the initial entry price toward the Natural (or selected) price. The step limit order will attempt to secure a preferable fill price in this process. Modification stops if no preferable fill is received and the limit price reaches the Natural. Note: a Step-to-Market order may also be selected which will move through the selected span of the spread and then go to the Market to get filled.

8. Set the quantity

Select the number of contracts for the order. (Note: remember a single option contract normally controls 100 shares of stock.)

9. Set the duration (time-in-force) for the order

10. Submit the order

Click Sell to open call

Click Place Order to confirm and submit

The trading tools work on either a LIVE brokerage account or a PAPER (simulated) trading account. Live market trading requires an account with TC2000 Brokerage (www.TC2000Brokerage.com).