Best Stocks for Covered Calls in 2026

Finding the best stocks for covered calls requires balancing premium potential with stock quality. Here are our top picks.

What Makes a Good Covered Call Stock?

  • High options liquidity - Tight bid-ask spreads
  • Moderate volatility - 25-50% IV is ideal
  • Strong fundamentals - Stocks you'd want to own
  • No near-term earnings - Avoid event risk

    • Top 25 Covered Call Stocks

    Mega-Cap Tech (Best Liquidity)

  • NVDA - High premium, very liquid
  • AAPL - Consistent premium, stable
  • MSFT - Quality company, good yield
  • GOOGL - Lower premium, excellent stock
  • AMZN - High premium potential
  • META - Good volatility for premium

    • High Premium (Higher Volatility)

  • TSLA - Highest premium, highest risk
  • AMD - Good balance of premium/risk
  • NFLX - Elevated volatility
  • COIN - Very high premium
  • MARA - Crypto exposure, high IV

    • ETFs (Lower Risk)

  • SPY - S&P 500, very liquid
  • QQQ - Nasdaq-100, good premium
  • IWM - Russell 2000, higher IV
  • XLF - Financials, moderate premium

    • Dividend Stocks (Income + Premium)

  • JPM - Bank + dividend + premium
  • BAC - Good for income investors
  • CVX - Energy + dividend
  • XOM - High dividend + premium
  • VZ - Telecom income play

    • Growth + Income

  • CRM - Enterprise software
  • SHOP - E-commerce growth
  • SQ - Fintech exposure
  • UBER - Gig economy
  • ABNB - Travel sector

    • Using Our Screener

    Use OptionsPilot's covered call screener to find the best opportunities based on your criteria.