“Trading Begins for HCA Options on July 18th”

Published On: April 11, 2025 10:38 pm

HCA Healthcare Options Trading Offers Strategic Opportunities for Investors

Investors in HCA Healthcare Inc (Symbol: HCA) observed the launch of new options trading today, set to expire on July 18th. The time value significantly influences the pricing of an option. As there are 98 days until expiration, these new contracts allow sellers of puts or calls to potentially achieve a higher premium than nearer expiration contracts. Utilizing our YieldBoost formula, Stock Options Channel has analyzed the HCA options chain for these July 18th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.

Analysis of Put Contract

The put contract at the $325.00 strike price currently has a bid of $20.20. If an investor sells-to-open this put contract, they commit to purchasing the shares at $325.00 while also collecting the premium. This arrangement effectively lowers the cost basis of the shares to $304.80, before accounting for broker commissions. For investors planning to buy HCA shares, this strategy presents an appealing alternative to purchasing at the current price of $328.53 per share.

Notably, the $325.00 strike price represents approximately a 1% discount from the current trading price, indicating it is out-of-the-money by that margin. Data indicates a 59% probability that the put contract may expire worthless. Stock Options Channel will track these odds over time, providing updates on our website’s contract detail page. Should the contract expire worthless, it would yield a 6.22% return on the cash commitment, translating to an annualized return of 23.15%, a metric we refer to as YieldBoost.

Visualizing Trading History

Below is a chart illustrating the trailing twelve-month trading history for HCA Healthcare Inc, highlighting the position of the $325.00 strike:

HCA Healthcare Trading History Chart

Exploring Call Contract Opportunities

Turning to the call side of the option chain, the call contract at the $340.00 strike price is currently bid at $20.70. An investor who buys shares of HCA at the current level of $328.53 and sells-to-open this call contract as a “covered call” would agree to sell the stock at $340.00. Including the collected premium, this strategy would yield a total return of 9.79% if the shares are called away at the July 18th expiration, excluding any dividends and broker commissions.

This arrangement does have potential risks, as significant upside might be lost if HCA shares rise significantly. Hence, reviewing HCA’s trailing twelve-month trading history and understanding the company’s fundamentals is vital. The chart below shows HCA’s trading history, with the $340.00 strike highlighted:

HCA Covered Call Trading History Chart

The $340.00 strike reflects an approximate 3% premium above the current trading price, meaning it is slightly out-of-the-money. There is a possibility that the covered call could expire worthless, allowing the investor to retain both their shares and the premium collected. Current analytical data suggest a 50% chance of this occurring. Stock Options Channel will continue to monitor and publicly update these odds on our contract detail page. If the covered call contract expires worthless, the premium could offer an additional 6.30% return, equating to an annualized YieldBoost of 23.47%.

Volatility Insights

For the put contract example, the implied volatility is 39%, while the call contract carries an implied volatility of 38%. The actual trailing twelve-month volatility, based on the last 251 trading days and the current price of $328.53, is calculated to be 28%. For further options contract ideas, explore StockOptionsChannel.com.

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