Ticker Options Intelligence

FA options intelligence

First Advantage Corp options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 52 Market data through 17 Sep 2026 Checked 18 Sep 2026 13:47 · complete available chain

Volatility expansion watch

Volatility pressure

FA currently carries volatility options pressure with a 52/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 6.2%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.04.

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

Volatility expansion watch

Expected move 6.2%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 0.04

Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest

Put-call 0.00

Call-side skew

Trend fit 3

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop -0.7%

RS 26.8

Expected move 6.2%
Put-call volume -
Volume / OI 0.04
Reference IV 1.19
Max pain 20.00
Underlying 21.22
Nearest expiry 18 Sep 2026
Contracts 88

Research Brief

FA has a volatility chain read with 52/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 19.90–22.54; The largest call open-interest concentration is 22.50; the largest put concentration is 17.50. The most active strike by current volume is 10.00.

Priced range19.90–22.54
Call concentration22.50
Put concentration17.50
Max pain reference20.00
What would confirm it
  • A clear directional pressure reading develops and price begins to agree.
  • Participation is above the ticker's stored normal, which makes the read more noteworthy.
What would weaken it
  • 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

Size, not direction · through 18 Sep

Options imply 19.90 to 22.54. Max pain at 20.00 sits inside that range, 5.7% below spot.

Spot Max pain
19.9021.22 ± 1.3222.54
Confirmation level

A close beyond 22.54 or below 19.90 at the 18 Sep 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 52/100

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.

Participation5 × 22%
+1.1

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

Trend agreement3 × 26%
+0.7

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

Volatility81 × 10%
+8.1

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score51.8Matches 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 17.50. The most active strike by current volume is 10.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
10.00-52.9%
0
0
12.50-41.1%
0
1
15.00-29.3%
0
202
17.50-17.5%
3
5
20.00-5.7%
6
0
22.506.0%
39
0
25.0017.8%
34
0
30.0041.4%
0
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Gamma Profile by Strike

Positive gamma proxy

Reported Greeks · 97% 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+$6,462Delta change / 1% move
Positive peak22.50+$5,177
Negative peak17.50-$264
Nearest balance18.91Interpolated sign change
StrikeNegativePositiveNet / 1% move
2.50-88.2%
+$2
5.00-76.4%
+$6
10.00-52.9%
+$3
12.50-41.1%
+$3
15.00-29.3%
+$214
17.50-17.5%
-$264
20.00-5.7%
+$203
22.506.0%
+$5,177
25.0017.8%
+$1,184
30.0041.4%
-$67
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

2.03× front/back

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

1.19 18 Sep 1d
0.32 16 Oct 29d
0.56 20 Nov 64d
0.55 15 Jan 120d
0.59 16 Apr 211d

Volatility by Strike

Balanced wings

Nearest expiry, within 20% of spot

Comparable upside calls and downside puts carry broadly similar implied volatility.

18
20
23
25
Put IV Call IV

Historical Replay

How matured reads behaved through expiry

13 matured · 3 directional

Across 3 stored directional transitions, the next stored price moved in the labelled direction 100% of the time.

Directional follow-through100%
Moves contained by pricing85%
Average expiry move8.0%
20 Aug Volatility · 52 -3.2% through expiry 5.8% priced · v2.0
14 Aug Volatility · 53 -3.2% through expiry 9.1% priced · v2.0
13 Aug Volatility · 54 -13.0% through expiry 14.7% priced · v2.0
12 Aug Bearish · 41 -13.0% through expiry 16.2% priced · v2.0
11 Aug Volatility · 50 -13.0% through expiry 18.6% priced · v2.0
10 Aug Bearish · 47 -13.0% through expiry 8.9% priced · v2.0
7 Aug Volatility · 52 -13.0% through expiry 10.1% priced · v2.0
6 Aug Volatility · 46 5.3% through expiry 14.5% priced · v2.0
5 Aug Volatility · 48 5.3% through expiry 21.8% priced · v2.0
4 Aug Bullish · 42 5.3% through expiry 17.1% priced · v2.0
3 Aug Mixed · 37 5.3% through expiry 18.1% priced · v2.0
31 Jul Volatility · 52 5.3% through expiry 25.1% priced · v2.0

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
17 Sep 2026
Calculation
v2.0
Contracts
88 / 88
  • 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

Volatility expansion bet

87/100
Primary intent Volatility expansion bet

The strongest message is movement risk: expected move and implied volatility are carrying more signal than direction.

Flow vs price divergence Volatility flow versus price

Options are pricing movement more than direction; compare expected move with the stock's actual weekly change.

Why this matters

Volatility expansion bet matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $6,750 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 91+ 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+100
1W price-0.7%
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 0.04 Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit 3/100 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 · 91+ days · OTM
Calls · 91+ days · OTM calls cluster with 25 contracts traded, $6,750 estimated gross traded notional, and 100% of visible notional.
$6,750

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.

Activity Anomaly

Above normal

72

Activity is running above the recent historical baseline.

Baseline: 23 completed sessions

Volume rank61th
Volume/OI rank70th
IV rank87th

Market Context

Underlying confirmation

Sharemaestro weekly
Close21.22
1W-0.7%
RS26.8
Fair value+31.0%
Options pressure100
Speculation5
Volatility81
Trend fit3

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 6.2% history building
30d avg - · 9/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 23/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 23/60 sessions -
IV 1.19 history building
30d avg - · 9/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 23/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 23/60 sessions -
Put-call 0.00 history building
30d avg - · 8/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 19/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 19/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 0.04 history building
30d avg - · 9/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 23/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 23/60 sessions -

Pressure Trail

Recent pressure and volatility

Open trail
29 Jul 10:56 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 25.1%
30 Jul 10:46 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 22.3%
31 Jul 10:31 Mixed
Pressure 9
Move 23.0%
1 Aug 05:04 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 25.4%
2 Aug 11:25 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 25.1%
3 Aug 19:30 Bullish
Pressure 18
Move 18.4%
4 Aug 08:06 Mixed
Pressure 9
Move 18.1%
4 Aug 14:58 Bullish
Pressure 18
Move 17.1%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike10.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike12.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike15.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike17.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 3
Puts · V 0 · OI 202
Strike20.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 6
Puts · V 0 · OI 5
Strike22.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 39
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike25.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 34
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike30.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts16
Avg IV1.19
Put-call-
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Contracts22
Avg IV0.32
Put-call-
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts14
Avg IV0.56
Put-call-
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Contracts22
Avg IV0.55
Put-call-
Expiry16 Apr 2027
Contracts14
Avg IV0.59
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
18 Sep 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.69
Put IV0.57
Skew-0.12
16 Oct 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.12
Put IV0.11
Skew-0.01
20 Nov 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.18
Put IV0.89
Skew0.71
15 Jan 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.46
Put IV0.68
Skew0.21
16 Apr 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.61
Put IV0.74
Skew0.13

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractFA270115C00022500
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike22.50
Volume25
OI51
IV0.66
ContractFA260918P00017500
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike17.50
Volume-
OI202
IV1.66
ContractFA261016C00022500
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike22.50
Volume-
OI56
IV0.12
ContractFA261016C00017500
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike17.50
Volume-
OI41
IV0.66
ContractFA270115C00017500
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike17.50
Volume-
OI40
IV0.61
ContractFA260918C00022500
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike22.50
Volume-
OI39
IV0.69
ContractFA260918C00025000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike25.00
Volume-
OI34
IV1.52
ContractFA270115C00025000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike25.00
Volume-
OI23
IV0.46

Evidence context