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Best Options Strategy for HII

By Dennis Bosmans · Updated 2026-09-10 · 2 min read · Risk disclaimer

Looking for the best options strategy for Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII)? There is no single answer — the right play depends on your outlook, your risk tolerance and current implied volatility. Below, our free engine shows the highest-scoring defined-risk strategy on the live HII option chain right now, and a simple map from your view on HII to the strategy that fits it. Model any of them in the calculator before you trade.

About HII

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) is a major company in Aerospace & Defense. Options traders on HII tend to watch , since these can drive large moves in the share price.

Today's top-scoring strategy for HII

Our engine ranks defined-risk strategies on the live HII chain by probability of profit and risk/reward, then surfaces the best-scoring one. It is an educational illustration, not advice.

Iron Butterfly neutral
Price: $282.76Implied volatility: 32%Expiration: 2026-10-16 (35d)
ActionQtyTypeStrikePremium
BuyPUT$230$0.55
SellPUT$280$8.95
SellCALL$280$12.20
BuyCALL$320$0.98
P/L at expiry vs today At expiry Today ±1σ
$176$275$374
Max Profit
$1,957
Max Loss
−$3,038
Net Credit (received)
$1,962
Breakeven(s)
$260.38, $299.63
Position Greeks
Δ
−2.11
Γ
−2.008
Θ
21.97
ν
−49.03
Time decay (price held)
Implied-volatility skew

Simulation

Forward simulation of 6,000 lognormal price paths to expiration — not a historical backtest.

Win rate
52%
Mean P/L
−$89
Median
$90
Exp. move (1σ)
10%
5th pct
−$2,038
25th pct
−$1,158
75th pct
$1,068
95th pct
$1,801

Strategy analysis

Simulated price paths (time × price)
now $283BE $260BE $300$239$285$3310d18d35d
$-2977$-538$1901

Greeks vs price

Δ — $ P/L per $1 move in the underlying (share-equivalent exposure).
Θ — $ P/L per day from time decay.
ν — $ P/L per +1% in implied volatility.
Γ — how fast delta changes per $1 move.

Price × volatility (today)

−30%−15%IV+15%+30%
$353−$1,961−$1,881−$1,787−$1,693−$1,609
$339−$1,793−$1,664−$1,546−$1,450−$1,378
$325−$1,409−$1,276−$1,180−$1,122−$1,095
$311−$762−$723−$723−$752−$802
$297−$13−$153−$296−$437−$572
$283$433$157−$91−$309−$500
$269$203−$44−$273−$478−$658
$254−$675−$756−$853−$955−$1,056
$240−$1,764−$1,688−$1,638−$1,615−$1,612
$226−$2,584−$2,460−$2,347−$2,252−$2,179
$212−$2,949−$2,876−$2,792−$2,705−$2,621
Analyze HII in the calculator → Share this pick ↗

Live scan from 2026-09-10 · quotes delayed ~15 minutes

Historical backtest: how a Iron Butterfly on HII would have performed

We approximated a Iron Butterfly on HII, entered repeatedly over the past year (92 historical entries, each held to expiration) with Black-Scholes-modelled entry premiums. Here is how that would have played out on real HII price history — an educational backtest, not a prediction of future returns.

Trades
92
Win rate
20%
Total P/L
-$3,454
Avg return on risk
+1%
Best trade
$942
Worst trade
-$301
Cumulative P/L over the backtest

Approximate: entry premiums are modelled with Black-Scholes from trailing realised volatility, held to expiration and settled against the real historical close. Real fills, implied volatility and slippage differ — treat it as directional context, not exact returns.

Implied volatility

HII is currently trading with moderate implied volatility, broadly in line with other large-cap stocks. On the options we scanned that was around 32% implied volatility, and higher implied volatility means richer premiums and wider expected moves.

Options on HII currently price in about 32% implied volatility, versus roughly 45% the stock has actually realised over the past month. That makes options relatively cheap — an edge for strategies that buy premium, such as long calls, long puts and debit spreads.

Off that volatility, the options market is pricing a move of about ±$27.78 (±10%) in HII by 2026-10-16 — a range of roughly $255 to $311. Strikes inside that band hold most of the premium and see most of the action.

Across strikes, downside puts on HII trade at a higher implied volatility than upside calls — the market is paying up for crash protection. That skew favours selling put spreads or buying calls over symmetric trades.

HII options chain highlights: open interest, volume and skew

The live HII options chain shows a put/call open-interest ratio of 0.98 (balanced), with at-the-money implied volatility near 31.6%. Open interest clusters at the $350 call — a common resistance "wall" — and the $220 put, a support "wall": the strikes option writers are most exposed to into expiration.

Put/Call OI
0.98
Put/Call volume
0.18
ATM IV
31.6%
Put–call IV skew
+2.9
Call OI wall
$350 · 151
Put OI wall
$220 · 133
Most active call
$350 · 100
Most active put
$260 · 4
Most active strikes (volume)
$220$300$360
Calls   Puts

Snapshot of open interest, volume and implied volatility for the nearest scanned expiration — context, not a trading signal.

HII insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)

Open-market insider transactions at HII over roughly the last six months, from SEC Form 4 filings. Open-market buys are the rarer, more telling signal — routine selling under pre-arranged plans is common, so read a net-selling figure with that in mind.

Open-market buys
0 · —
Open-market sells
3 · $5.6M
Net (buy − sell)
−$5.6M
InsiderActionSharesValueDate
Kastner Christopher DSell13,070$4.2M2026-08-10
Harker Victoria DSell723$241K2026-08-07
Hughes Edmond E. Jr.Sell3,500$1.1M2026-05-28

Source: SEC Form 4 filings via Finnhub. Open-market purchases (P) and sales (S) only — grants, option exercises, gifts and tax withholding are excluded. Informational context, not investment advice.

Liquidity and tradeability

HII options are thinly traded, with wide bid-ask spreads around 19% near the money that eat into any edge — favour simple single-leg or tight defined-risk trades, and always use limit orders.

Earnings & IV crush

HII's next earnings report is due around October 29, 2026. Options that expire after it price in a binary move, so their implied volatility is elevated and usually collapses right after the announcement — an "IV crush". If your expiration falls before this date, the trade sidesteps the event.

Dividend and assignment risk

HII pays a dividend of about 1.9% a year, so short or covered calls on it carry early-assignment risk around each ex-dividend date — in-the-money calls are most exposed just before the stock goes ex-dividend.

Key figures

Market cap
$11.1B
Beta (vs market)
0.23
52-week range
$263.62–$460.00 (10% up the range)
Short interest
3.0% of float · 1.9 days to cover

Other strong setups for HII

If your view on HII differs, these also scored well in the latest scan:

How to choose an options strategy for HII

Start with your outlook on HII, then match it to a defined-risk structure. Here are the most common choices and when each makes sense:

Bullish

You expect HII to rise

Buy a call for leverage with capped risk, or a bull call spread to lower the cost and breakeven when you have a target price.

Long Call → Bull Call Spread →

Bearish

You expect HII to fall

Buy a put to profit from a decline with defined risk, or a bear put spread to cheapen the trade when you expect a measured move down.

Long Put → Bear Put Spread →

Neutral

You expect HII to trade in a range

Sell an iron condor to collect premium while HII stays between two strikes, or write a covered call against shares you already own.

Iron Condor → Covered Call →

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How we pick the best strategy

For each ticker we pull the live option chain, build every supported strategy around the at-the-money strikes, and score them on probability of profit, risk/reward and capital efficiency — favouring defined-risk structures where the maximum loss is known up front. Methodology →

Open HII in the free calculator →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best options strategy for HII?

It depends on your outlook. Bullish traders often use a long call or bull call spread on HII; bearish traders a long put or bear put spread; neutral traders an iron condor or covered call. Our live scan above shows the current highest-scoring defined-risk play.

Are HII options liquid enough to trade?

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) is among the most actively-traded US options, which usually means tight bid/ask spreads and plenty of strikes and expirations — though you should always check the open interest and spread on the exact contract.

How much money do I need to trade HII options?

Buying a single HII call or put can cost as little as the premium (often one to a few hundred dollars), while income strategies like a cash-secured put need enough capital to buy 100 shares if assigned.

Is this financial advice?

No. Everything here is educational and uses delayed, third-party data. It is not a recommendation to trade HII or any security. Do your own research.

What does Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. do?

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) operates in the Aerospace & Defense industry. The "About Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc." section above gives a fuller picture of what the company does and how it earns money.

Does Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. pay a dividend?

Yes — Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. currently pays a dividend yielding about 1.9%. If you hold the shares (for example to write a covered call), the ex-dividend date can trigger early assignment, so check it beforehand.

When does Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. next report earnings?

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.'s next earnings are expected around October 29, 2026. Implied volatility usually climbs into the report and drops sharply afterwards (IV crush) — important for any options position held over the date.

Price trend

Short term · 1M
▼ -14.1%
Mid term · 3M
▼ -2.6%
Long term · 1Y
▲ +2%

Tickers related to HII

Comparing HII with similar names can help you choose the best options strategy:

SPCXSpace Exploration Technologies Corp.AVAVAeroVironment, Inc.KTOSKratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.RCATRed Cat Holdings, Inc.LHXL3Harris Technologies, Inc.NOCNorthrop Grumman Corporation

Company information

Headquarters
4101 Washington Avenue, Newport News, VA, 23607, United States
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
Employees
45,000
CEO
Mr. Christopher Douglas Kastner
Phone
757 380 2000
Website
www.hii.com

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Educational use only. Quotes are delayed ~15 minutes and nothing here is financial advice. Options trading involves substantial risk of loss. Privacy · Terms.