NOW Wheel: Strike Selection, Premium & Risk
How to sell wheels on ServiceNow Inc. — optimal strikes, expected premium, and the risks that actually matter for a large-cap technology name.
Is NOW a good wheel candidate?
NOW (ServiceNow Inc.) is a large-cap technology name with an elevated share price and excellent 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 pays no dividend, so every dollar of income must come from the options you sell.
Strike selection for a NOW wheel
For the NOW wheel, sell puts 7-10% below the current price until you are assigned. Once you own the shares, flip to covered calls 5-8% above your cost basis. On a moderate-volatility name, cycling 30-45 DTE — the sweet spot for theta-to-gamma balance expirations keeps theta working in your favor without over-exposing you to gamma around earnings.
Expected premium and income on NOW
Typical monthly premium collected on NOW 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 NOW is $20,000+ — the share price and the 100-share lot size set the minimum, not the strategy.
Reference Trade
Example Covered Call on NOW
- Strike: $1,150 (6% OTM)
- Expiration: 30 days
- Premium: $25.00 per share
- Return if flat: 2.3% ($2,500)
- Return if called: 8.4% ($9,100)
- Probability keep shares: 72% keep shares
Risk management for NOW wheel trades
The wheel works beautifully in sideways and slowly-trending markets but struggles in sharp selloffs where you get put stock well above market and then have to wait for covered-call opportunities at your cost basis. NOW moves in a moderate-volatility range most of the time, but earnings week and sector rotations can still produce 5%+ single-day prints. Tech names are especially vulnerable to interest-rate shifts and earnings guidance revisions — both tend to produce gap moves that hurt short options.
NOW Wheel FAQ
Is NOW a good stock for the wheel strategy?
NOW is excellent for the wheel because of its penny-wide spreads and moderate IV (good premium/risk balance). No dividend means all your return comes from premiums and price appreciation.
What expiration should I use for NOW wheel trades?
Use 30-45 DTE as a default for NOW. This is the classic theta sweet spot and works well on a stable ticker like this.
Is NOW suitable for beginners selling options?
Yes — it's a well-known, liquid name with established options markets, which is what beginners need.
Related NOW strategies
Price a NOW wheel right now
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