Primary read
Bullish
Call-side pressure
Ticker Options Intelligence
SLF options intelligence
Sun Life Financial Inc. options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
44
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 2 Aug 2026 17:44 · complete available chain
Call-side pressure
Bullish pressure
SLF currently carries bullish options pressure with a 44/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 6.0%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.00.
Expected move
6.0%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.00
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
0.00
Call-side skew
Trend fit
11
Options are not fully confirming trend
Weekly backdrop
+0.9%
RS 18.0
Expected move
6.0%
Put-call volume
-
Volume / OI
0.00
Reference IV
0.27
Max pain
85.00
Underlying
82.95
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
114
Research Brief
SLF has a bullish chain read with 44/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 77.95–87.95; The largest call open-interest concentration is 90.00; the largest put concentration is 75.00. The most active strike by current volume is 90.00.
Priced range77.95–87.95
Call concentration90.00
Put concentration75.00
Max pain reference85.00
- Price holds or improves while call-side concentration remains elevated.
- 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
Options imply 77.95 to 87.95. Max pain at 85.00 sits inside that range, 2.5% above spot.
Spot
Max pain
77.9582.95 ± 5.0087.95
Confirmation level
A close beyond 87.95 or below 77.95 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 44/100
Pressure is 88/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure88 × 42%
+37.0
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation1 × 22%
+0.1
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement11 × 26%
+2.8
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility43 × 10%
+4.3
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 90.00; the largest put concentration is 75.00. The most active strike by current volume is 90.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
35.00-57.8%
0
0
40.00-51.8%
0
0
45.00-45.8%
0
13
50.00-39.7%
1
10
55.00-33.7%
6
0
60.00-27.7%
0
9
65.00-21.6%
12
5
70.00-15.6%
30
149
75.00-9.6%
20
2
80.00-3.6%
18
22
85.002.5%
115
108
90.008.5%
428
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.
0.27
21 Aug
21d
0.20
18 Sep
49d
0.19
20 Nov
112d
0.22
19 Feb
203d
Volatility by Strike
Balanced wings
Comparable upside calls and downside puts carry broadly similar implied volatility.
70
75
80
85
90
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
- 114 / 114
- 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.
Call-side pressure is building before a meaningful weekly price response.
Earnings/event positioning matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $525 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 8-21 days · itm, and a bullish flow before price confirmation backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.
Options pressure+88
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
0.00
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.
Calls · 8-21 days · ITM
calls cluster with 1 contracts traded, $390 estimated gross traded notional, and 74% of visible notional.
$390
Calls · 8-21 days · OTM
calls cluster with 6 contracts traded, $135 estimated gross traded notional, and 26% of visible notional.
$135
Setup Classification
Opportunity and risk frame
Expected move or upcoming earnings makes the setup more event-sensitive.
Options positioning is not confirming the underlying trend context.
Underlying price is close to the max-pain zone.
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
Close82.95
1W+0.9%
RS18.0
Fair value+50.1%
Options pressure88
Speculation1
Volatility43
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 10:11
Bullish
Pressure 30
Move 8.2%
30 Jul 10:07
Mixed
Pressure -13
Move 6.7%
31 Jul 10:04
Bullish
Pressure 88
Move 7.2%
1 Aug 13:01
Bullish
Pressure 88
Move 6.0%
2 Aug 16:44
Bullish
Pressure 88
Move 6.0%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike35.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike40.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike45.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike50.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 13
Strike55.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 6
Puts · V 0 · OI 10
Strike60.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike65.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 12
Puts · V 0 · OI 9
Strike70.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 30
Puts · V 0 · OI 5
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts24
Avg IV0.27
Put-call-
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts32
Avg IV0.20
Put-call-
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts26
Avg IV0.19
Put-call-
Expiry19 Feb 2027
Contracts32
Avg IV0.22
Put-call-
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.30
Put IV0.29
Skew-0.01
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.21
Put IV0.27
Skew0.06
20 Nov 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.20
Put IV0.25
Skew0.05
19 Feb 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.18
Put IV0.29
Skew0.11
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractSLF260821C00090000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike90.00
Volume6
OI428
IV0.25
ContractSLF260821C00080000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike80.00
Volume1
OI18
IV0.25
ContractSLF261120P00065000
SidePut
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike65.00
Volume-
OI1052
IV0.18
ContractSLF261120P00075000
SidePut
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike75.00
Volume-
OI200
IV0.08
ContractSLF260821P00075000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike75.00
Volume-
OI149
IV0.18
ContractSLF260821C00085000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike85.00
Volume-
OI115
IV0.30
ContractSLF260821P00090000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike90.00
Volume-
OI108
IV0.29
ContractSLF260918P00070000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike70.00
Volume-
OI100
IV0.19
Research Graph
Related research and context
Sharemaestro research
Related News
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.