A situation in which an
investor writes an
option while holding an equal and opposite
position on the
underlying asset. A covered call option occurs when the investor owns the underlying asset and writes a call so that the underlying is on hand to
sell to the
option holder if the option is
exercised. A covered put option occurs when the investor writes a put and has enough
cash to cover the
strike if the put is exercised. It is thought that utilizing covered options is a beneficial tactic as the investor may
profit from the option
premium.