Strategy

ZEBRA Strategy

By Ryan Silk & Lawrence Polatchek · Reviewed April 2026 · Options Trading Glossary

Zero extrinsic value stock replacement strategy

What is ZEBRA Strategy?

ZEBRA Strategy Zero Extrinsic Back Ratio — a strategy designed to replicate stock exposure with zero extrinsic value. Typically constructed by buying 2 ATM calls and selling 1 ITM call (for bullish) or buying 2 ATM puts and selling 1 ITM put (for bearish). The position behaves like 100 shares with defined risk and zero time decay at inception.

Complete Definition

Zero Extrinsic Back Ratio — a strategy designed to replicate stock exposure with zero extrinsic value. Typically constructed by buying 2 ATM calls and selling 1 ITM call (for bullish) or buying 2 ATM puts and selling 1 ITM put (for bearish). The position behaves like 100 shares with defined risk and zero time decay at inception.

AV
Written by
ApexVol Research Team
Quantitative options research
All calculations use live ORATS institutional data — the same source used by professional volatility desks.
RS
Technical reviewer
Ryan Silk, ApexVol Founder
Reviewed for technical accuracy
10+ years trading options. Built ApexVol's pricing engine, Greeks model, and IV-rank methodology.
This guide is updated as market conditions and ORATS data change. Last revised 2026-05-12. How we research →

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