OMG. A covered call is NOT an option transaction -- it's a strategy that involves an option transaction. The gain you are talking about is coming from the other part of the strategy. The option transaction itself nets to zero sum between the two individuals, both at initiation and at termination.
If I added lottery tickets to my strategy of selling naked calls, it wouldn't change the nature of the option transactions either. Even if I won the lottery.
If I buy GOOG and use it as margin for selling calls on MMM, it doesn't change the zero-sum nature of the calls either.
The fact that the calls are being covered by the underlying stock is irrelevant to their zero-sum nature.
Actually, the call writer didn't "loose" at expiration – he had made the decision in advance to limit his profits. The amount of money beyond the strike price is the opportunity cost of that decision, not a real or financial loss. Neither the option writer nor the option buyer experienced a real or financial loss. The writer profited from the premium on the option he sold (and also the rise in stock price), and the buyer profited from the increase in option value. Both profited from the option transaction – neither one experienced a real or financial loss -- which violates the rule of a zero sum game.
But again, if you equate opportunity cost to real loss, then most of us are hopelessly in the hole financially since we didn't mortgage all of our belongings and use the money to buy Google in 1996 – LOL.
Good trading -- Dave
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