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Straddle

Buying or selling a call and a put at the same strike and expiry at once.

How to read the number

A bet on the size of the move rather than its side: the buyer needs range, the seller needs quiet.

When the metric lies

A bought straddle needs a move larger than both premiums combined, not merely a move in some direction. A correct direction at a sluggish pace still ends in a loss.

Also known as: long straddle

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