🎯 BUY RIVN 2025-11-21 13.5/14.5 CALL SPREAD
I recommend a bull call spread expiring after earnings to capture potential upside from improving production outlook and new model launches, while limiting risk amid ongoing regulatory and demand uncertainties.
Buy RIVN Nov 21 13.5/14.5 Call Spread
Stock Price: $13.60 | Entry: $0.55 debit (Buy 13.5 call ~0.95 ask, Sell 14.5 call ~0.40 bid)
📊 Trade Metrics
• Max Risk: $55 per spread (debit paid)
• Max Reward: $45 (spread width $1.00 - $0.55 debit)
• Breakeven at expiry: $14.05 (13.5 strike + 0.55 debit)
• Win Rate: Moderate (delta of 13.5 call ~0.48)
• Days to Expiration: 67 (Nov 21, 2025)
📈 Term Structure & Volatility Analysis
• Baseline 90-day Historical Volatility: 40.6%
• 48-day Clean IV: 56.6% (overpriced, favor selling premium)
• 68-day Clean IV: 55.5% (still over baseline, but closer)
• Earnings Multiplier: 2.84x (high expected move around Nov 6 earnings)
• Strategy: Buying premium after earnings, avoiding overpriced short-term options
• IV Rank: 100% (very high, selling premium generally favored but earnings premium justifies buying longer dated calls)
📈 Greeks & Volatility
• Delta (13.5 call): ~0.48 (moderate bullish exposure)
• Theta: Moderate negative (~ -0.008/day on long call) but offset by spread
• Vega: Positive (benefits from implied volatility increase post-earnings)
🎯 Why This Trade
The term structure shows very high implied volatility priced into near-term options, making short-term premium selling expensive and risky. However, the clean IV for Nov 21 options is still elevated but closer to baseline, offering a better risk/reward profile for a directional bullish spread. Rivian’s stock trades at $13.60, slightly above its 20-day ($13.39), 50-day ($13.06), and 200-day ($13.12) moving averages, signaling technical support. The RSI near 53 indicates neutral momentum, leaving room for upside. Recent market intelligence highlights ongoing challenges—such as regulatory delays and a $100M hold on EV credit sales—tempering enthusiasm, but the upcoming launch of the more affordable R2 SUV in 2026 and Georgia plant plans provide a positive catalyst. The Nov 6 earnings event is a critical catalyst; this spread expires well after earnings, allowing time for a post-report move without the extreme premium of near-term options.
📊 Pro Analysis
• Current IV (64.2%) is far above historical (45.4%), favoring premium sellers generally, but earnings multiplier (2.84x) suggests a large move priced in.
• Put/Call volume ratio is 0.30 (very bullish), supporting a bullish directional trade.
• Technicals show price stability above key moving averages, supporting a moderate bullish bias.
• Analyst consensus is mixed with a Hold rating and price target near current levels ($13.67), indicating limited but possible upside.
🔍 Earnings Date Check
• Earnings on 2025-11-06
• Recommended expiration 2025-11-21 is AFTER earnings, capturing potential post-earnings move and subsequent volatility normalization.
💡 Trade Management
• Entry: Place limit order around $0.55 (midpoint of bid/ask spread)
• Target: Close at $0.85+ for ~50% profit if stock moves above $14.50 before expiry
• Stop: Exit if stock falls below $12.80 (technical support zone) or if IV collapses sharply post-earnings without price movement
• Time Stop: Close 2-3 days before expiration to avoid time decay erosion
📅 Market Overview
The Fed is holding rates steady but hints at cuts ahead, keeping rates elevated to combat inflation, creating a cautious environment for growth stocks like Rivian. Geopolitical tensions from Israel-Iran strikes add risk premium to markets. Rivian’s fundamentals show negative EPS (-3.21) and large losses, consistent with a high-risk, speculative EV growth name. The stock price near $13.60 is supported technically but faces headwinds from regulatory delays and the expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit at month-end, which may pressure near-term demand. Sector peers like Tesla (TSLA) and Ford (F) have mixed momentum, with EV market consolidation ongoing. The technicals for RIVN show a neutral RSI (53), price above all major moving averages, and bullish MACD, supporting a cautiously optimistic outlook.
🔒 Pricing Validation
• 13.5 Call intrinsic value: max(0, 13.60-13.5) = $0.10; trading ~0.95 ask → valid
• 14.5 Call intrinsic value: max(0, 13.60-14.5) = $0; trading ~0.40 bid → valid
• Spread intrinsic value: max(0, 13.60-13.5) - max(0, 13.60-14.5) = $0.10 - $0 = $0.10 < $0.55 debit → valid debit spread pricing
• Put-call parity checks consistent with market data
Confidence Level: Moderate. The trade balances elevated IV risk with a defined-risk bullish position that benefits from potential post-earnings upside and technical support. Risks include continued regulatory delays, weakening demand from tax credit expiration, and high volatility premium that may compress post-earnings.
This is a measured bullish trade that limits downside while capturing upside potential in a volatile, event-driven environment.