Primary read
Volatility
Volatility expansion watch
Ticker Options Intelligence
ACIW options intelligence
ACI Worldwide Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
51
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 2 Aug 2026 13:06 · complete available chain
Volatility expansion watch
Volatility pressure
ACIW currently carries volatility options pressure with a 51/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 9.7%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.13.
Expected move
9.7%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.13
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
20.00
Put-side skew
Trend fit
11
Options are not fully confirming trend
Weekly backdrop
+1.8%
RS 12.5
Expected move
9.7%
Put-call volume
20.00
Volume / OI
0.13
Reference IV
0.54
Max pain
45.00
Underlying
57.33
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
116
Research Brief
ACIW has a volatility chain read with 51/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 51.78–62.88; The largest call open-interest concentration is 45.00; the largest put concentration is 40.00. The most active strike by current volume is 60.00.
Priced range51.78–62.88
Call concentration45.00
Put concentration40.00
Max pain reference45.00
- A clear directional pressure reading develops and price begins to agree.
- Volatility falls and the chain remains directionally mixed.
- 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
Options imply 51.78 to 62.88. Max pain at 45.00 lies outside the priced range, so it is a weak near-term anchor.
Spot
Max pain
51.7857.33 ± 5.5562.88
Confirmation level
A close beyond 62.88 or below 51.78 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 51/100
Pressure is 93/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure93 × 42%
+38.9
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation6 × 22%
+1.4
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement11 × 26%
+2.9
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility76 × 10%
+7.6
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 45.00; the largest put concentration is 40.00. The most active strike by current volume is 60.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
1
20.00-65.1%
0
3
22.50-60.8%
1
3
25.00-56.4%
0
1
30.00-47.7%
17
15
35.00-38.9%
4
173
40.00-30.2%
3
30
45.00-21.5%
83
33
50.00-12.8%
10
44
55.00-4.1%
23
0
60.004.7%
26
3
65.0013.4%
30
0
70.0022.1%
6
0
75.0030.8%
3
0
80.0039.5%
0
0
85.0048.3%
0
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.
0.54
21 Aug
21d
0.42
18 Sep
49d
0.48
20 Nov
112d
0.43
19 Feb
203d
Volatility by Strike
Downside protection premium
Out-of-the-money puts carry higher implied volatility than comparable calls, indicating richer downside protection.
50
55
60
65
Put IV Call IV
Historical Replay
How matured reads behaved through expiry
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
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
- Chain status
- Complete available chain
- Market date
- 31 Jul 2026
- Calculation
- v2.0
- Contracts
- 116 / 116
- 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.
Options are pricing movement more than direction; compare expected move with the stock's actual weekly change.
Earnings/event positioning matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $31015 of estimated gross traded notional, puts · 46-90 days · otm, and a volatility flow versus price backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.
Options pressure-93
1W price+1.8%
Call premium2%
Put premium98%
Notional split
C 2% / P 98%
Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness
0.13
Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit
11/100
Agreement between options pressure and Sharemaestro market context.
Event window
6 Aug
Matched earnings event is 4 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 · 46-90 days · OTM
puts cluster with 100 contracts traded, $30250 estimated gross traded notional, and 98% of visible notional.
$30250
Calls · 91+ days · OTM
calls cluster with 4 contracts traded, $625 estimated gross traded notional, and 2% of visible notional.
$625
Calls · 8-21 days · OTM
calls cluster with 1 contracts traded, $140 estimated gross traded notional, and 0% of visible notional.
$140
Setup Classification
Opportunity and risk frame
The tape is pricing or displaying unusually elevated activity.
Expected move or upcoming earnings makes the setup more event-sensitive.
Options positioning is not confirming the underlying trend context.
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
Close57.33
1W+1.8%
RS12.5
Fair value+34.7%
Options pressure-93
Speculation6
Volatility76
Trend fit11
Today Versus Normal
Stored-options context
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions
-
Pressure Trail
Recent pressure and volatility
29 Jul 10:43
Bullish
Pressure 33
Move 14.0%
30 Jul 10:39
Volatility
Pressure 46
Move 14.2%
30 Jul 15:14
Volatility
Pressure 47
Move 11.3%
30 Jul 15:41
Volatility
Pressure 47
Move 11.2%
30 Jul 19:41
Volatility
Pressure 61
Move 11.4%
2 Aug 12:06
Volatility
Pressure -93
Move 9.7%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike20.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike22.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 3
Strike25.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 3
Strike30.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 17
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike35.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 4
Puts · V 0 · OI 15
Strike40.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 3
Puts · V 0 · OI 173
Strike45.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 83
Puts · V 0 · OI 30
Strike50.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 10
Puts · V 0 · OI 33
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts30
Avg IV0.54
Put-call-
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts24
Avg IV0.42
Put-call-
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts32
Avg IV0.48
Put-call-
Expiry19 Feb 2027
Contracts30
Avg IV0.43
Put-call-
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.44
Put IV0.77
Skew0.32
18 Sep 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.47
Put IV0.51
Skew0.04
20 Nov 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.51
Put IV0.53
Skew0.02
19 Feb 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.39
Put IV0.47
Skew0.09
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractACIW260918P00055000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike55.00
Volume100
OI-
IV0.51
ContractACIW261120C00075000
SideCall
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike75.00
Volume2
OI13
IV0.51
ContractACIW261120C00080000
SideCall
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike80.00
Volume2
OI5
IV0.52
ContractACIW260821C00060000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike60.00
Volume1
OI26
IV0.44
ContractACIW260821P00040000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike40.00
Volume-
OI173
IV1.30
ContractACIW261120C00060000
SideCall
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike60.00
Volume-
OI92
IV0.46
ContractACIW261120P00045000
SidePut
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike45.00
Volume-
OI88
IV0.60
ContractACIW260821C00045000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike45.00
Volume-
OI83
IV0.82
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.