How to Express a Specific View Using Vertical Spreads: A Practical Review of an Options Trade Around Nike’s Earnings

In a trading lab at the Robinhood Summit, the author used Nike’s (NKE) after-hours earnings release on October 1, 2025, as a backdrop to demonstrate how to express a specific directional view using vertical spreads. At the time, NKE traded around $36, and the $36 straddle implied an expected move of about $3 (8%). The author chose to buy the 38.5/39 call vertical for a premium of $0.12, which would pay $0.50 if the stock closed above $39 at expiration, for a risk-reward ratio of roughly 3:1.