MS options — covered call & cash-secured put yields
Morgan Stanley · Financials
MS delayed-data snapshot
Top 5 covered-call strikes for MS
Annualized screen yield = (premium ÷ capital at risk) × (365 ÷ DTE). Comparison metric, not a projected annual return. Excludes strikes with OI below 1 or absent bid/ask.
| Strike | Expiration | Bid | Ask | Mid | |Δ| | Vol | OI | Spread% | Cycle yld | Ann screen yld | Data provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $185.00C | 2026-11-13 (19d) | — | — | — | 0.36 | 14 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $185.00C | 2026-11-06 (12d) | — | — | — | 0.32 | 6 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $187.50C | 2026-11-06 (12d) | — | — | — | 0.24 | 40 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $190.00C | 2026-11-13 (19d) | — | — | — | 0.22 | 6 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $190.00C | 2026-11-06 (12d) | — | — | — | 0.17 | 115 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
Top 5 cash-secured put strikes for MS
Capital at risk for a CSP = strike × 100. Same screen-yield formula; same not-a-forecast caveat.
| Strike | Expiration | Bid | Ask | Mid | |Δ| | Vol | OI | Spread% | Cycle yld | Ann screen yld | Data provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $175.00P | 2026-11-06 (12d) | — | — | — | 0.34 | 60 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $175.00P | 2026-11-13 (19d) | — | — | — | 0.35 | 4 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $172.50P | 2026-11-06 (12d) | — | — | — | 0.27 | 2 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $170.00P | 2026-11-06 (12d) | — | — | — | 0.20 | 2 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
| $170.00P | 2026-11-13 (19d) | — | — | — | 0.24 | 10 | — | — | — | — | polygon |
Upcoming events on MS
Ranking factors, exclusions, and missing-data handling
- Ranking: contracts are ordered by annualized screen yield, descending. Ties broken by liquidity score.
- Minimum liquidity: strikes with open interest below 1 or absent bid/ask are excluded from the table.
- Pricing input: mid-of-bid-ask, falling back to last trade then day close when bid/ask are stale (after-hours / illiquid strikes).
- Excluded contracts: ITM strikes (we screen OTM only by default), spreads wider than 30% of mid, and strikes outside the 0.10–0.45 delta band.
- Missing-data handling: when Polygon returns no delta for a leg, we fall back to a Black-Scholes-Merton delta computed from spot, strike, DTE, and implied volatility. When IV is also missing, the strike is dropped.
- Why annualized screen yield is not a forecast: it assumes the same premium/strike combination repeats every cycle for a year, ignoring regime changes, IV crush, and post-assignment capital reallocation. Realized returns are typically materially lower. See annualized screen yield.
- Ticker-specific limitations for MS: see the limitations panel further down on this page.
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Top 5 covered-call strikes for MS
Ranked by annualized yield. Updated every 5 minutes during market hours.
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Top 5 cash-secured puts for MS
Sub-spot strikes ranked by annualized return on capital.
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About MS options
Morgan Stanley (MS) is a Financials listed company with moderate implied volatility typical of large-cap US equities. MS pays a 3.8% dividend. Dividend-capture risk on short calls is moderate. Monitor ex-dividend timing when selling near-term calls.
For wheel-strategy traders, MS is a workable wheel candidate. The moderate implied volatility typical of large-cap US equities means cash-secured puts collect meaningful premium, and the underlying business profile (Financials) makes it a name many income sellers would be comfortable being assigned at the right strike.
For income-strategy traders, the MS option chain typically supports both conservative (delta around 0.20) and aggressive (delta around 0.35) premium-selling setups. The Delayed Opportunities ranking above scans every active expiration and surfaces the highest-yielding contracts by annualized return.
Income strategies on MS
- Covered calls on MS — if you own MS shares. New to the strategy? Read the full covered-calls guide first.
- Cash-secured puts on MS — if you have cash to deploy and would be comfortable owning MS. See the cash-secured puts guide for mechanics.
- MS wheel strategy — for repeating CSP → assignment → covered call → called-away cycles. The complete wheel-strategy guide covers stock selection and cycle math.
Related tickers
Other Financials names with similar liquidity profile:
Frequently asked questions
What are the best covered-call strikes for MS right now?
The Top 5 list above ranks every covered-call strike across every upcoming expiration on MS by annualized yield, refreshed every 5 minutes. Click any strike to open the calculator pre-filled with that contract.
Is MS a good wheel-strategy stock?
For wheel-strategy traders, MS is a workable wheel candidate. The moderate implied volatility typical of large-cap US equities means cash-secured puts collect meaningful premium, and the underlying business profile (Financials) makes it a name many income sellers would be comfortable being assigned at the right strike.
What delta should I sell on MS?
Most income sellers target a 0.20 to 0.35 delta strike. Conservative sellers stay near 0.20 (lower yield, lower assignment risk). Aggressive sellers go to 0.35 (higher yield, higher assignment risk). With moderate implied volatility typical of large-cap US equities, MS works well across this range.
Does MS pay a dividend, and does it affect my covered call?
MS pays a 3.8% dividend. Dividend-capture risk on short calls is moderate. Monitor ex-dividend timing when selling near-term calls.