EC Poor Man's Covered Call: Strike Selection, Premium & Risk
How to sell poor man's covered calls on Ecopetrol S.A. — optimal strikes, expected premium, and the risks that actually matter for a mid-cap energy name.
Is EC a good poor man's covered call candidate?
EC (Ecopetrol S.A.) is a mid-cap energy name with a low share price and fair options liquidity. Implied volatility is moderate — enough premium to make selling options worthwhile, without the heart-stopping price swings you get on speculative names. It also pays a dividend, which adds a second income stream on top of the premium you collect.
Strike selection for a EC poor man's covered call
For a EC PMCC, buy a long-dated call with 0.80+ delta (typically 12-18 months out) as your synthetic long, then sell short-dated calls 5-8% above the stock price at 0.20-0.30 delta. The LEAPS tie up roughly 30-50% of the capital of buying 100 shares, which is especially valuable on a low share price ticker like EC.
Expected premium and income on EC
Typical monthly premium collected on EC runs around 1.0-2.0% of capital, which annualizes to roughly 12-24% if you sell new contracts every cycle. Capital required to run a single contract wheel on EC is under $5,000 — the share price and the 100-share lot size set the minimum, not the strategy.
Risk management for EC poor man's covered call trades
PMCC risk is concentrated at the LEAPS expiration: if the stock collapses, the long-dated call can lose significant value quickly. You also have to manage the short call not going deep in the money against you before your LEAPS appreciates equivalently. EC moves in a moderate-volatility range most of the time, but earnings week and sector rotations can still produce 5%+ single-day prints. Energy names track crude and natural gas prices closely — OPEC headlines and inventory prints drive intraday moves far more than company fundamentals most weeks.
EC Poor Man's Covered Call FAQ
Can you run a poor man's covered call on EC?
Yes. Buy a 0.80+ delta LEAPS on EC dated 12-18 months out as your synthetic long, then sell short-dated calls 5-8% above the stock at 0.20-0.30 delta. Capital tied up drops from under $5,000 to roughly 30-50% of that — a meaningful improvement when the share price is a low share price.
What expiration should I use for EC poor man's covered call trades?
Use 30-45 DTE as a default for EC. This is the classic theta sweet spot and works well on a stable ticker like this.
Is EC suitable for beginners selling options?
Mostly yes, though beginners should use small size and confirm liquidity on each expiration they trade. Always check the bid/ask spread before entering — anything wider than 5% of the mid price is a warning sign.
Related EC strategies
Price a EC poor man's covered call right now
Use the free OptionsPilot calculator with live quotes to find the best poor man's covered call strike on EC.
Open the Strike Finder →