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Best Options Strategy for RLAY

By Dennis Bosmans · Updated 2026-08-14 · 2 min read · Risk disclaimer

Looking for the best options strategy for Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY)? 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 RLAY option chain right now, and a simple map from your view on RLAY to the strategy that fits it. Model any of them in the calculator before you trade.

About RLAY

Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY) is a major company in Biotechnology. Options traders on RLAY tend to watch , since these can drive large moves in the share price.

About Relay Therapeutics, Inc.

Relay Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small molecule drugs aimed at treating cancer and genetic diseases. The company's pipeline centers on precision medicines designed to target specific mutations and disease pathways. Its most advanced candidate, RLY-2608, is a PI3K alpha inhibitor being tested for breast cancer, other solid tumors, and vascular malformations. The company is also pursuing RLY-8161 for RAS-driven cancers and lirafugratinib for various cancer indications. A key part of Relay's strategy involves leveraging computational protein modeling technology, developed through a research collaboration with D. E. Shaw Research, to identify and validate drug targets that competitors might miss. This technology-driven approach aims to improve the precision and success rate of early-stage drug discovery.

Relay generates revenue through partnerships and licensing agreements rather than product sales, since its candidates remain in clinical development. The company has established collaborations with established players including Pfizer, which is co-developing RLY-2608 in combination with other therapies, and Elevar Therapeutics for…

Today's top-scoring strategy for RLAY

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

Iron Condor neutral
Price: $19.64Implied volatility: 72%Expiration: 2026-09-18 (34d)
ActionQtyTypeStrikePremium
BuyPUT$15$0.35
SellPUT$18$0.85
SellCALL$22$2.00
BuyCALL$25$1.35
P/L at expiry vs today At expiry Today ±1σ
$9$20$31
Max Profit
$115
Max Loss
−$185
Net Credit (received)
$115
Breakeven(s)
$16.85, $23.15
Position Greeks
Δ
3.52
Γ
−7.205
Θ
1.95
ν
−1.87
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
−$15
Median
$15
Exp. move (1σ)
22%
5th pct
−$185
25th pct
−$171
75th pct
$115
95th pct
$115

Strategy analysis

Simulated price paths (time × price)
now $20BE $17BE $23$13$20$280d17d34d
$-181$-35$111

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%
$25−$62−$59−$60−$64−$69
$24−$34−$38−$45−$53−$61
$23−$6−$19−$31−$43−$54
$22$17−$3−$20−$36−$49
$21$31$6−$15−$32−$47
$20$34$7−$15−$33−$48
$19$23−$1−$22−$39−$53
$18−$2−$20−$36−$50−$62
$17−$38−$47−$56−$65−$74
$16−$79−$79−$81−$85−$90
$15−$119−$111−$107−$106−$107
Analyze RLAY in the calculator → Share this pick ↗

Live scan from 2026-08-14 · quotes delayed ~15 minutes

Historical backtest: how a Iron Condor on RLAY would have performed

We approximated a Iron Condor on RLAY, 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 RLAY price history — an educational backtest, not a prediction of future returns.

Trades
92
Win rate
7%
Total P/L
$142
Avg return on risk
+11%
Best trade
$41
Worst trade
$0
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

RLAY is currently trading with high implied volatility, which makes its options expensive — and attractive to sell. On the options we scanned that was around 72% implied volatility, and higher implied volatility means richer premiums and wider expected moves.

Options on RLAY currently price in about 72% implied volatility, versus roughly 46% the stock has actually realised over the past month. That makes options relatively expensive — an edge for strategies that sell premium, such as credit spreads and iron condors.

RLAY's IV Rank is 1/100: implied volatility sits 1% of the way between its 13-day low (71%) and high (126%), and is above 14% of recorded days. Premium is historically cheap, which favours net-debit strategies like long options and debit spreads.

Off that volatility, the options market is pricing a move of about ±$4.31 (±22%) in RLAY by 2026-09-18 — a range of roughly $15.33 to $23.94. Strikes inside that band hold most of the premium and see most of the action.

Across strikes, upside calls on RLAY carry a higher implied volatility than downside puts — demand is tilted to the upside, which favours call spreads or selling cash-secured puts.

RLAY options chain highlights: open interest, volume and skew

The live RLAY options chain shows a put/call open-interest ratio of 0.68 (bullish-leaning (more calls)), with at-the-money implied volatility near 66.3%. Open interest clusters at the $21 call — a common resistance "wall" — and the $19 put, a support "wall": the strikes option writers are most exposed to into expiration.

Put/Call OI
0.68
Put/Call volume
1.03
ATM IV
66.3%
Put–call IV skew
+7.5
Call OI wall
$21 · 352
Put OI wall
$19 · 269
Most active call
$16 · 392
Most active put
$22 · 606
Most active strikes (volume)
$13$20$27
Calls   Puts

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

RLAY insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)

Open-market insider transactions at RLAY 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
19 · $7.9M
Net (buy − sell)
−$7.9M
InsiderActionSharesValueDate
Catinazzo ThomasSell1,459$27K2026-07-28
Rahmer PeterSell748$14K2026-07-28
Bergstrom Donald ASell2,237$42K2026-07-28
Patel SanjivSell48,199$944K2026-07-07
Catinazzo ThomasSell17,717$331K2026-07-06
Bergstrom Donald ASell8,660$162K2026-07-06

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.

Earnings & IV crush

RLAY's next earnings report is due around November 5, 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.

Key figures

Market cap
$4.3B
Beta (vs market)
1.70
52-week range
$3.02–$20.79 (93% up the range)
Short interest
22.8% of float · 9.5 days to cover

With 22.8% of RLAY's float sold short, squeeze and gap risk are elevated — one reason its options can stay expensive.

Other strong setups for RLAY

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

How to choose an options strategy for RLAY

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

Bullish

You expect RLAY 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 RLAY 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 RLAY to trade in a range

Sell an iron condor to collect premium while RLAY 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 RLAY in the free calculator →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best options strategy for RLAY?

It depends on your outlook. Bullish traders often use a long call or bull call spread on RLAY; 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 RLAY options liquid enough to trade?

Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY) 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 RLAY options?

Buying a single RLAY 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 RLAY or any security. Do your own research.

What does Relay Therapeutics, Inc. do?

Relay Therapeutics, Inc. (RLAY) operates in the Biotechnology industry. The "About Relay Therapeutics, Inc." section above gives a fuller picture of what the company does and how it earns money.

Does Relay Therapeutics, Inc. pay a dividend?

We don't show a confirmed dividend yield for Relay Therapeutics, Inc. here, so treat it as uncertain: before writing calls, check its current dividend and ex-dividend date with your broker — an approaching ex-dividend date can trigger early assignment on in-the-money short calls.

When does Relay Therapeutics, Inc. next report earnings?

Relay Therapeutics, Inc.'s next earnings are expected around November 5, 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
▲ +1.8%
Mid term · 3M
▲ +50.2%
Long term · 1Y
▲ +461%

Tickers related to RLAY

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

KYMRKymera Therapeutics, Inc.NRIXNurix Therapeutics, Inc.RVMDRevolution Medicines, Inc.PCVXVaxcyte, Inc.

Company information

Headquarters
60 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States
Industry
Biotechnology
Employees
193
CEO
Dr. Sanjiv K. Patel M.A., M.B.A., M.D., MBBS
Phone
617 370 8837
Website
www.relaytx.com

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