Ticker Options Intelligence

PFS options intelligence

Provident Financial Services Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 48 Market data through 12 Aug 2026 Checked 13 Aug 2026 12:04 · complete available chain

Call-side pressure

Bullish pressure

PFS currently carries bullish options pressure with a 48/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 6.8%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.01.

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

Call-side pressure

Expected move 6.8%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 0.01

Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest

Put-call 0.00

Call-side skew

Trend fit 0

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop -0.9%

RS 4.9

Expected move 6.8%
Put-call volume -
Volume / OI 0.01
Reference IV 0.43
Max pain 22.50
Underlying 24.46
Nearest expiry 21 Aug 2026
Contracts 62

Research Brief

PFS has a bullish chain read with 48/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 22.79–26.13; The largest call open-interest concentration is 22.50; the largest put concentration is 22.50. The most active strike by current volume is 22.50.

Priced range22.79–26.13
Call concentration22.50
Put concentration22.50
Max pain reference22.50
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 22.79 to 26.13. Max pain at 22.50 lies outside the priced range, so it is a weak near-term anchor.

Spot Max pain
22.7924.46 ± 1.6726.13
Confirmation level

A close beyond 26.13 or below 22.79 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 48/100

Evidence alignment, not probability

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

Directional pressure100 × 42%
+42.0

How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.

Participation1 × 22%
+0.1

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

Trend agreement0 × 26%
+0.0

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

Volatility58 × 10%
+5.8

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score47.9Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 22.50; the largest put concentration is 22.50. The most active strike by current volume is 22.50. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
12.50-48.9%
0
0
15.00-38.7%
0
0
17.50-28.5%
0
0
20.00-18.2%
1
9
22.50-8.0%
106
3
25.002.2%
1
0
30.0022.6%
0
0
35.0043.1%
0
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Gamma Profile by Strike

Positive gamma proxy

Reported + model-estimated Greeks · 100% coverage

Call-side gamma sensitivity outweighs the put-side proxy across the retained chain. The largest bars mark levels where delta-hedging sensitivity may be most concentrated.

Net profile+$6,821Delta change / 1% move
Positive peak25.00+$6,421
Negative peak17.50-$6
Nearest balance17.67Interpolated sign change
StrikeNegativePositiveNet / 1% move
17.50-28.5%
-$6
20.00-18.2%
+$90
22.50-8.0%
+$237
25.002.2%
+$6,421
30.0022.6%
+$78
Positive call-side proxy Negative put-side proxyHighlighted row is nearest spot strike

Scenario proxy = gamma × open interest × 100 shares × spot² × 1%. Calls are positive and puts negative by convention. Missing Greeks use a Black-Scholes estimate from stored IV with zero rate and dividend assumptions. Open interest does not reveal who is long or short, so this is not observed dealer positioning or a forecast.

Volatility Curve

Front-loaded volatility

1.89× front/back

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

0.43 21 Aug 9d
0.35 18 Sep 37d
0.28 16 Oct 65d
0.23 15 Jan 156d

Volatility by Strike

Smile incomplete

Nearest expiry, within 20% of spot

There is not enough comparable OTM call and put volatility to classify the smile.

20
23
25
Put IV Call IV

Historical Replay

How matured reads behaved through expiry

0 matured · 0 directional

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
  • Auditable calculationoriginal version retained
  • Independent entryone read per market session
  • Point-in-time referencerequired at entry
  • Matched expiry closereported only after maturity

Eligible snapshots must have a dated market session, stored signal, and point-in-time market reference. Each observation uses one read per market session and the first stored weekly close on or immediately after expiry; its original calculation version is retained. It is an evidence audit, not an executable strategy or evidence of future performance.

Evidence Quality

Usable with limits

C69/100
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
Chain status
Complete available chain
Market date
12 Aug 2026
Calculation
v2.0
Contracts
62 / 62
  • 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

Directional flow, confirmation needed

35/100
Primary intent Directional flow, confirmation needed

There is useful activity, but aggregate chain data does not isolate participant intent.

Flow vs price divergence Bullish flow against weak price

Options are leaning call-side while the stock is down on the week, a divergence that needs price confirmation.

Why this matters

Directional flow, confirmation needed matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $840 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 8-21 days · itm, and a bullish flow against weak price backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.

Options pressure+100
1W price-0.9%
Call premium100%
Put premium0%
Notional split C 100% / P 0% Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness 0.01 Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit 0/100 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.
Conviction clusters Calls · 8-21 days · ITM
Calls · 8-21 days · ITM calls cluster with 4 contracts traded, $840 estimated gross traded notional, and 100% of visible notional.
$840

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.

Negative Options disagreement

Options positioning is not confirming the underlying trend context.

Warning Bullish pressure over fair value

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

Activity Anomaly

Warming up

-

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

Baseline: 9 completed sessions

Volume rank-
Volume/OI rank-
IV rank-

Market Context

Underlying confirmation

Sharemaestro weekly
Close24.46
1W-0.9%
RS4.9
Fair value+41.6%
Options pressure100
Speculation1
Volatility58
Trend fit0

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 6.8% history building
30d avg - · 9/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 9/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 9/60 sessions -
IV 0.43 history building
30d avg - · 9/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 9/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 9/60 sessions -
Put-call 0.00 history building
30d avg - · 5/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 5/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 5/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 0.01 history building
30d avg - · 9/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 9/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 9/60 sessions -

Pressure Trail

Recent pressure and volatility

Open trail
29 Jul 10:55 Mixed
Pressure 11
Move 10.6%
30 Jul 10:34 Bullish
Pressure 100
Move 8.4%
31 Jul 11:04 Bullish
Pressure 100
Move 9.9%
31 Jul 23:46 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 11.6%
2 Aug 11:24 Bearish
Pressure -22
Move 7.5%
4 Aug 10:25 Bearish
Pressure -38
Move 10.1%
5 Aug 11:01 Bearish
Pressure -89
Move 2.4%
6 Aug 11:05 Mixed
Pressure 11
Move 6.9%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike12.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike15.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike17.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike20.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike22.50
Calls · V 4 · OI 106
Puts · V 0 · OI 9
Strike25.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 3
Strike30.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike35.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts16
Avg IV0.43
Put-call-
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts16
Avg IV0.35
Put-call-
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Contracts16
Avg IV0.28
Put-call-
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Contracts14
Avg IV0.23
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.02
Put IV0.32
Skew0.29
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.01
Put IV0.16
Skew0.15
16 Oct 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.19
Put IV0.12
Skew-0.07
15 Jan 2027Balanced skew
Call IV0.12
Put IV0.08
Skew-0.04

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractPFS260821C00022500
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike22.50
Volume4
OI106
IV0.01
ContractPFS270115C00025000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike25.00
Volume-
OI87
IV0.40
ContractPFS261016C00025000
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike25.00
Volume-
OI26
IV0.21
ContractPFS261016C00022500
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike22.50
Volume-
OI10
IV0.22
ContractPFS260821P00022500
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike22.50
Volume-
OI9
IV0.32
ContractPFS261016P00022500
SidePut
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike22.50
Volume-
OI6
IV0.12
ContractPFS261016C00030000
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike30.00
Volume-
OI5
IV0.19
ContractPFS270115C00020000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike20.00
Volume-
OI4
IV0.27

Evidence context