The common stock of the Avalon Corporation has been trading in a narrow range around $40 per share for months, and you believe it is going to move away sharply from the range in the next 3 months. The price of a 3-month put option with an exercise price of $40 is $3, and a call with the same expiration date and exercise price sells for $4. What would be a simple options strategy using a put and a call to exploit your conviction about the stock price's future movement?

A. Sell a call.

B. Purchase a put.

C. Sell a straddle.

D. Buy a straddle.

C. Sell a straddle

Explanation:

Considering the following calculation: Sell a straddle = sell a put + sell a call

and,

Premium income for selling a straddle = (P + C) 100 = ($3 + $4) (100) = $700.

a short straddle involves simultaneously selling a put option and call option with the same underlying asset, same exercise price and expiration date

By Selling a 3 month put option with exercise price of $40 one will get $3 (inflow of $3)

Simulatenously By Selling a 3 month call option with exercise of $40 one wiil get $4 (inflow of $4)

Thus the total premium income of selling a straddle is $7