Ticker Options Intelligence

HWC options intelligence

Hancock Whitney Corp options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 40 Market data through 31 Jul 2026 Checked 1 Aug 2026 00:49 · complete available chain

Call-side pressure

Bullish pressure

HWC currently carries bullish options pressure with a 40/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 6.0%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.07.

Options Intelligence Opportunities Bullish confirmation Risks Unusual flow Vol expansion Repeated pressure Compare Chart Weekly report
Primary read Bullish

Call-side pressure

Expected move 6.0%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 0.07

Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest

Put-call 0.56

Call-side skew

Trend fit 54

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop +1.0%

RS 8.7

Expected move 6.0%
Put-call volume 0.56
Volume / OI 0.07
Reference IV 0.71
Max pain 70.00
Underlying 76.20
Nearest expiry 21 Aug 2026
Contracts 24

Research Brief

HWC has a bullish chain read with 40/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 71.61–80.79; The largest call open-interest concentration is 75.00; the largest put concentration is 70.00. The most active strike by current volume is 70.00.

Priced range71.61–80.79
Call concentration75.00
Put concentration70.00
Max pain reference70.00
What would confirm it
  • Price holds or improves while call-side concentration remains elevated.
What would weaken it
  • Price weakens while call pressure fades or reverses toward puts.
  • Options and the weekly trend are not yet giving the same message.
  • 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

Size, not direction · through 21 Aug

Options imply 71.61 to 80.79. Max pain at 70.00 lies outside the priced range, so it is a weak near-term anchor.

Spot Max pain
71.6176.20 ± 4.5980.79
Confirmation level

A close beyond 80.79 or below 71.61 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 40/100

Evidence alignment, not probability

Pressure is 40/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.

Directional pressure40 × 42%
+16.7

How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.

Participation10 × 22%
+2.1

Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.

Trend agreement54 × 26%
+14.2

How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.

Volatility74 × 10%
+7.4

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score40.4Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 75.00; the largest put concentration is 70.00. The most active strike by current volume is 70.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
1
50.00-34.4%
2
0
55.00-27.8%
0
0
60.00-21.3%
0
2
65.00-14.7%
3
4
70.00-8.1%
19
2
75.00-1.6%
439
0
80.005.0%
23
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Volatility Curve

Front-loaded volatility

1.81× front/back

Near-term options are materially richer than later expirations, consistent with concentrated event or immediate-risk pricing.

0.71 21 Aug 21d
0.48 20 Nov 112d
0.39 19 Feb 203d

Volatility by Strike

Downside protection premium

Nearest expiry, within 20% of spot

Out-of-the-money puts carry higher implied volatility than comparable calls, indicating richer downside protection.

65
70
75
80
Put IV Call IV

Historical Replay

How matured reads behaved through expiry

0 directional observations

Forward validation is building. The earliest eligible stored read expires 21 Aug 2026; its result will appear after the matched closing reference is stored.

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

High

A96/100
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
Chain status
Complete available chain
Market date
31 Jul 2026
Calculation
v2.0
Contracts
24 / 24
  • 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

Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate

64/100
Primary intent Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate

Activity is spread across expirations with heavier open interest than current volume, which can be consistent with position maintenance.

Flow vs price divergence Bullish flow confirms price

Options pressure and weekly price action are pointing in the same constructive direction.

Why this matters

Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $26990 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 8-21 days · itm, and a bullish flow confirms price backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.

Options pressure+40
1W price+1.0%
Call premium84%
Put premium16%
Notional split C 84% / P 16% Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness 0.07 Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit 54/100 Agreement between options pressure and Sharemaestro market context.
Aggregate chain data does not identify trade aggressor or opening versus closing activity; call/put concentration is not proof of market direction. Roll detection is conservative because opening and closing legs are not directly observable in this snapshot.
Conviction clusters Calls · 8-21 days · ITM
Calls · 8-21 days · ITM calls cluster with 15 contracts traded, $13250 estimated gross traded notional, and 49% of visible notional.
$13250
Calls · 91+ days · ITM calls cluster with 5 contracts traded, $7260 estimated gross traded notional, and 27% of visible notional.
$7260
Puts · 91+ days · ITM puts cluster with 4 contracts traded, $2340 estimated gross traded notional, and 9% of visible notional.
$2340
Puts · 91+ days · ATM puts cluster with 4 contracts traded, $1500 estimated gross traded notional, and 6% of visible notional.
$1500
Calls · 91+ days · ATM calls cluster with 2 contracts traded, $1330 estimated gross traded notional, and 5% of visible notional.
$1330

Setup Classification

Opportunity and risk frame

Context, not advice
Warning Volatility expansion

The tape is pricing or displaying unusually elevated activity.

Warning Event-risk setup

Expected move or upcoming earnings makes the setup more event-sensitive.

Warning Bullish pressure over fair value

Call pressure is building while the stock sits above Sharemaestro fair value.

Activity Anomaly

Warming up

-

3 of 10 completed market sessions are available. More session history is needed before activity can be compared with a reliable normal.

Baseline: 3 completed sessions

Volume rank-
Volume/OI rank-
IV rank-

Market Context

Underlying confirmation

Sharemaestro weekly
Close77.00
1W+1.0%
RS8.7
Fair value+46.2%
Options pressure40
Speculation10
Volatility74
Trend fit54

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 6.0% history building
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions -
IV 0.71 history building
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions -
Put-call 0.56 history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 0.07 history building
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions -

Pressure Trail

Recent pressure and volatility

Open trail
29 Jul 10:37 Bearish
Pressure -89
Move 4.9%
30 Jul 11:30 Bearish
Pressure -22
Move 6.6%
31 Jul 11:01 Mixed
Pressure 11
Move 6.3%
31 Jul 19:42 Bullish
Pressure 40
Move 6.0%
31 Jul 23:49 Bullish
Pressure 40
Move 6.0%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike50.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 2
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike55.00
Calls · V 1 · OI 0
Puts · V 1 · OI 0
Strike60.00
Calls · V 5 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike65.00
Calls · V 1 · OI 3
Puts · V 1 · OI 2
Strike70.00
Calls · V 8 · OI 19
Puts · V 3 · OI 4
Strike75.00
Calls · V 1 · OI 439
Puts · V 1 · OI 2
Strike80.00
Calls · V 1 · OI 23
Puts · V 0 · OI 0

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts12
Avg IV0.71
Put-call0.35
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts9
Avg IV0.48
Put-call1.33
Expiry19 Feb 2027
Contracts3
Avg IV0.39
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
21 Aug 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.81
Put IV0.72
Skew-0.09
20 Nov 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.40
Put IV0.41
Skew0.02
19 Feb 2027Incomplete skew
Call IV0.38
Put IV-
Skew-

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractHWC260821C00050000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike50.00
Volume-
OI2
IV0.00
ContractHWC270219C00080000
SideCall
Expiry19 Feb 2027
Strike80.00
Volume-
OI1
IV0.38
ContractHWC260821P00050000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike50.00
Volume-
OI1
IV1.82
ContractHWC261120C00045000
SideCall
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike45.00
Volume-
OI-
IV0.00
ContractHWC260821C00070000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike70.00
Volume8
OI19
IV0.78
ContractHWC260821C00060000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike60.00
Volume5
OI-
IV0.00
ContractHWC261120P00075000
SidePut
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike75.00
Volume4
OI5
IV0.41
ContractHWC261120P00080000
SidePut
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike80.00
Volume4
OI4
IV0.37