Primary read
Mixed
Options-market disagreement
Ticker Options Intelligence
AMCX options intelligence
AMC Networks Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
36
Market data through 30 Jul 2026
Checked 30 Jul 2026 16:46 · complete available chain
Options-market disagreement
Mixed pressure
AMCX currently carries mixed options pressure with a 36/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 15.8%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.09.
Expected move
15.8%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.09
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
1.17
Balanced tape
Trend fit
93
Options agree with trend context
Weekly backdrop
+14.4%
RS 21.9
Expected move
15.8%
Put-call volume
1.17
Volume / OI
0.09
Reference IV
1.07
Max pain
10.00
Underlying
9.79
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
33
Research Brief
AMCX has a mixed chain read with 36/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 8.24–11.34; The largest call open-interest concentration is 12.50; the largest put concentration is 7.50. The most active strike by current volume is 7.50.
Priced range8.24–11.34
Call concentration12.50
Put concentration7.50
Max pain reference10.00
- A clear directional pressure reading develops and price begins to agree.
- The current chain read already agrees with the stored weekly trend context.
- Volatility falls and the chain remains directionally mixed.
- Front-expiry volatility is rich, so the signal may be event-driven and vulnerable to volatility compression.
Priced Move
Where the chain says movement becomes exceptional
Options imply 8.24 to 11.34. Max pain at 10.00 sits inside that range, 2.1% above spot.
Spot
Max pain
8.249.79 ± 1.5511.34
Confirmation level
A close beyond 11.34 or below 8.24 at the 21 Aug expiry would exceed the move currently priced by this chain.
Important limitation
The range is a pricing reference, not a forecast; volatility can reprice sharply after news or as expiry approaches.
Score Construction
Why conviction is 36/100
Pressure is 0/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure0 × 42%
+0.1
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation10 × 22%
+2.2
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement93 × 26%
+24.1
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility96 × 10%
+9.6
The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.
Positioning by Strike
Where open interest and current activity concentrate
The largest call open-interest concentration is 12.50; the largest put concentration is 7.50. The most active strike by current volume is 7.50. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
136
7.50-23.4%
2
24
10.002.1%
55
0
12.5027.7%
955
0
15.0053.2%
20
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry
Volatility Curve
Front-loaded volatility
Near-term options are materially richer than later expirations, consistent with concentrated event or immediate-risk pricing.
1.07
21 Aug
22d
1.25
18 Sep
50d
0.81
18 Dec
141d
0.73
19 Mar
232d
Volatility by Strike
Smile incomplete
There is not enough comparable OTM call and put volatility to classify the smile.
10
Put IV Call IV
Historical Replay
How matured reads behaved through expiry
No independently verifiable option-expiry outcomes have matured yet. Legacy snapshots without a point-in-time market reference and repeated same-session snapshots are deliberately excluded.
Directional follow-through-
Moves contained by pricing-
Average expiry move-
Validation readiness
- Versioned calculationv2 observations only
- Independent entryone read per market session
- Point-in-time referencerequired at entry
- Matched expiry closereported only after maturity
Only v2 snapshots with a point-in-time market reference are eligible. Each observation uses one read per market session and the first weekly close on or immediately after expiry. It is an evidence audit, not an executable strategy or evidence of future performance.
Evidence Quality
Usable with limits
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes94%
Open interest100%
- Chain status
- Complete available chain
- Market date
- 30 Jul 2026
- Calculation
- v1.x legacy
- Contracts
- 33 / 33
- No material coverage gap was detected in the retained chain.
Aggregate chain data supports concentration, participation and pricing analysis. It does not identify trade aggressor, opening versus closing activity, multi-leg intent or dealer inventory.
Options Intent Radar
Earnings/event positioning
Options activity is concentrated around a live event window, so the cleanest read is event positioning rather than pure direction.
The options read is mixed, so divergence is not strong enough to classify.
Earnings/event positioning matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $39520 of estimated gross traded notional, puts · 91+ days · atm, and a no clean flow/price divergence backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.
Options pressure-0
1W price+14.4%
Call premium36%
Put premium64%
Notional split
C 36% / P 64%
Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness
0.09
Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit
93/100
Agreement between options pressure and Sharemaestro market context.
Event window
7 Aug
Matched earnings event is 6 days away.
Aggregate chain data does not identify trade aggressor or opening versus closing activity; call/put concentration is not proof of market direction.
Puts · 91+ days · ATM
puts cluster with 90 contracts traded, $17575 estimated gross traded notional, and 44% of visible notional.
$17575
Calls · 91+ days · ITM
calls cluster with 14 contracts traded, $5160 estimated gross traded notional, and 13% of visible notional.
$5160
Puts · 91+ days · OTM
puts cluster with 51 contracts traded, $2890 estimated gross traded notional, and 7% of visible notional.
$2890
Puts · 22-45 days · OTM
puts cluster with 110 contracts traded, $2420 estimated gross traded notional, and 6% of visible notional.
$2420
Calls · 22-45 days · OTM
calls cluster with 69 contracts traded, $2070 estimated gross traded notional, and 5% of visible notional.
$2070
Setup Classification
Opportunity and risk frame
Positioning agrees with the Sharemaestro trend backdrop.
The tape is pricing or displaying unusually elevated activity.
Expected move or upcoming earnings makes the setup more event-sensitive.
Underlying price is close to the max-pain zone.
Activity Anomaly
Warming up
2 of 10 completed market sessions are available. More session history is needed before activity can be compared with a reliable normal.
Baseline: 2 completed sessions
Volume rank-
Volume/OI rank-
IV rank-
Market Context
Underlying confirmation
Close11.20
1W+14.4%
RS21.9
Fair value+12.3%
Options pressure0
Speculation10
Volatility96
Trend fit93
Today Versus Normal
Stored-options context
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions
-
Pressure Trail
Recent pressure and volatility
29 Jul 11:28
Volatility
Pressure -92
Move 23.0%
30 Jul 11:12
Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 25.5%
30 Jul 15:25
Bearish
Pressure -30
Move 14.0%
30 Jul 15:46
Mixed
Pressure 0
Move 15.8%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike7.50
Calls · V 2 · OI 2
Puts · V 110 · OI 136
Strike10.00
Calls · V 20 · OI 55
Puts · V 0 · OI 24
Strike12.50
Calls · V 69 · OI 955
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike15.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 20
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts6
Avg IV1.07
Put-call1.21
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts9
Avg IV1.25
Put-call0.07
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts13
Avg IV0.81
Put-call1.84
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Contracts5
Avg IV0.73
Put-call7.14
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.73
Put IV1.34
Skew0.60
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.62
Put IV0.76
Skew0.14
18 Dec 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.68
Put IV0.66
Skew-0.02
19 Mar 2027Incomplete skew
Call IV0.70
Put IV-
Skew-
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractAMCX260821P00010000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike10.00
Volume-
OI24
IV0.82
ContractAMCX260821C00015000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike15.00
Volume-
OI20
IV1.68
ContractAMCX261218P00002500
SidePut
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike2.50
Volume-
OI10
IV3.57
ContractAMCX260918C00020000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike20.00
Volume-
OI1
IV1.90
ContractAMCX270319C00010000
SideCall
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Strike10.00
Volume-
OI1
IV0.70
ContractAMCX270319C00020000
SideCall
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Strike20.00
Volume-
OI1
IV0.95
ContractAMCX260918P00010000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike10.00
Volume-
OI-
IV0.00
ContractAMCX260918C00002500
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike2.50
Volume-
OI-
IV4.27
Research Graph
Related research and context
Sharemaestro research
Related News
No recent ticker-specific news yet.
Market Watch
No recent market-watch posts yet.
Earnings
Plain English Guide
Options context
What usually looks constructive
What usually looks cautious
Options can move quickly and can lose value fast. Treat this as research context, not a buy or sell instruction.