Primary read
Volatility
Volatility expansion watch
Ticker Options Intelligence
FOA options intelligence
Finance of America Companies Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
47
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 2 Aug 2026 09:21 · complete available chain
Volatility expansion watch
Volatility pressure
FOA currently carries volatility options pressure with a 47/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 18.2%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.01.
Expected move
18.2%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.01
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
0.10
Call-side skew
Trend fit
1
Options are not fully confirming trend
Weekly backdrop
-0.4%
RS -6.7
Expected move
18.2%
Put-call volume
0.10
Volume / OI
0.01
Reference IV
0.98
Max pain
20.00
Underlying
22.75
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
114
Research Brief
FOA has a volatility chain read with 47/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 18.60–26.90; The largest call open-interest concentration is 30.00; the largest put concentration is 25.00. The most active strike by current volume is 30.00.
Priced range18.60–26.90
Call concentration30.00
Put concentration25.00
Max pain reference20.00
- 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 18.60 to 26.90. Max pain at 20.00 sits inside that range, 12.1% below spot.
Spot
Max pain
18.6022.75 ± 4.1526.90
Confirmation level
A close beyond 26.90 or below 18.60 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 47/100
Pressure is 86/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure86 × 42%
+36.2
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation4 × 22%
+0.9
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement1 × 26%
+0.4
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility96 × 10%
+9.6
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 30.00; the largest put concentration is 25.00. The most active strike by current volume is 30.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
2.50-89.0%
0
0
5.00-78.0%
0
0
7.50-67.0%
0
0
10.00-56.0%
0
5
12.50-45.1%
0
10
15.00-34.1%
0
10
17.50-23.1%
0
19
20.00-12.1%
100
9
22.50-1.1%
7
23
25.009.9%
74
3
30.0031.9%
298
0
35.0053.8%
170
0
40.0075.8%
2
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.
0.98
21 Aug
21d
0.64
18 Sep
49d
0.65
20 Nov
112d
0.58
18 Dec
140d
0.57
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.
20
23
25
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.
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: $1600 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 8-21 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+86
1W price-0.4%
Call premium91%
Put premium9%
Notional split
C 91% / P 9%
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
1/100
Agreement between options pressure and Sharemaestro market context.
Event window
4 Aug
Matched earnings event is 2 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 · OTM
calls cluster with 49 contracts traded, $980 estimated gross traded notional, and 61% of visible notional.
$980
Calls · 91+ days · OTM
calls cluster with 2 contracts traded, $470 estimated gross traded notional, and 29% of visible notional.
$470
Puts · 8-21 days · OTM
puts cluster with 5 contracts traded, $150 estimated gross traded notional, and 9% of visible notional.
$150
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
Close22.75
1W-0.4%
RS-6.7
Fair value+34.2%
Options pressure86
Speculation4
Volatility96
Trend fit1
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 11:42
Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 21.6%
29 Jul 19:29
Volatility
Pressure 99
Move 18.8%
31 Jul 02:51
Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 19.3%
2 Aug 08:21
Volatility
Pressure 86
Move 18.2%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike2.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike5.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike7.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike10.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike12.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 5
Strike15.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 10
Strike17.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 5 · OI 10
Strike20.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 100
Puts · V 0 · OI 19
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts26
Avg IV0.98
Put-call0.10
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts16
Avg IV0.64
Put-call-
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts24
Avg IV0.65
Put-call-
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts26
Avg IV0.58
Put-call-
Expiry19 Feb 2027
Contracts22
Avg IV0.57
Put-call-
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.87
Put IV1.45
Skew0.58
18 Sep 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.80
Put IV0.72
Skew-0.08
20 Nov 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.63
Put IV0.69
Skew0.06
18 Dec 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.54
Put IV0.63
Skew0.09
19 Feb 2027Balanced skew
Call IV0.59
Put IV0.59
Skew-
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractFOA260821C00030000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike30.00
Volume49
OI298
IV0.83
ContractFOA260821P00017500
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike17.50
Volume5
OI10
IV0.49
ContractFOA261218C00025000
SideCall
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike25.00
Volume2
OI1852
IV0.55
ContractFOA261218P00010000
SidePut
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike10.00
Volume-
OI1178
IV0.54
ContractFOA261218C00030000
SideCall
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike30.00
Volume-
OI1168
IV0.54
ContractFOA261218P00012500
SidePut
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike12.50
Volume-
OI500
IV0.41
ContractFOA261120P00015000
SidePut
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike15.00
Volume-
OI419
IV0.33
ContractFOA261120P00017500
SidePut
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike17.50
Volume-
OI177
IV0.22
Research Graph
Related research and context
Sharemaestro research
Related News
No recent ticker-specific news yet.
Market Watch
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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.