Primary read
Bearish
Put-side pressure
Ticker Options Intelligence
BALL options intelligence
Ball Corporation options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
53
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 1 Aug 2026 11:05 · complete available chain
Put-side pressure
Bearish pressure
BALL currently carries bearish options pressure with a 53/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 7.2%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.01.
Expected move
7.2%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.01
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
4.58
Put-side skew
Trend fit
68
Options agree with trend context
Weekly backdrop
+1.8%
RS 6.1
Expected move
7.2%
Put-call volume
4.58
Volume / OI
0.01
Reference IV
0.38
Max pain
60.00
Underlying
63.84
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
424
Research Brief
BALL has a bearish chain read with 53/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 59.21–68.47; The largest call open-interest concentration is 67.50; the largest put concentration is 60.00. The most active strike by current volume is 50.00.
Priced range59.21–68.47
Call concentration67.50
Put concentration60.00
Max pain reference60.00
- Price remains weak while put-side concentration persists.
- The current chain read already agrees with the stored weekly trend context.
- Price recovers while put pressure fades or reverses toward calls.
- 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 59.21 to 68.47. Max pain at 60.00 sits inside that range, 6.0% below spot.
Spot
Max pain
59.2163.84 ± 4.6368.47
Confirmation level
A close beyond 68.47 or below 59.21 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 53/100
Pressure is 63/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure63 × 42%
+26.5
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation16 × 22%
+3.6
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement68 × 26%
+17.7
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility55 × 10%
+5.5
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 67.50; the largest put concentration is 60.00. The most active strike by current volume is 50.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
30.00-53.0%
0
0
32.50-49.1%
0
2
37.50-41.3%
0
2
45.00-29.5%
4
345
47.50-25.6%
0
65
50.00-21.7%
0
64
52.50-17.8%
74
197
55.00-13.8%
84
346
57.50-9.9%
285
547
60.00-6.0%
84
334
62.50-2.1%
242
83
65.001.8%
339
61
67.505.7%
652
0
70.009.6%
569
0
72.5013.6%
138
0
75.0017.5%
82
0
80.0025.3%
44
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.
0.38
21 Aug
21d
0.33
18 Sep
49d
0.31
16 Oct
77d
0.31
20 Nov
112d
0.30
18 Dec
140d
0.30
15 Jan
168d
0.31
19 Feb
203d
0.30
19 Mar
231d
Volatility by Strike
Balanced wings
Comparable upside calls and downside puts carry broadly similar implied volatility.
53
55
58
60
63
65
68
70
73
75
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
- 424 / 424
- 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.
Put-side pressure is building while price is rising, a cautionary divergence.
Earnings/event positioning matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $19525 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 91+ days · atm, and a bearish flow against rising price backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.
Options pressure-63
1W price+1.8%
Call premium72%
Put premium28%
Notional split
C 72% / P 28%
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
68/100
Agreement between options pressure and Sharemaestro market context.
Event window
4 Aug
Matched earnings event is 3 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 · 91+ days · ATM
calls cluster with 20 contracts traded, $9100 estimated gross traded notional, and 47% of visible notional.
$9100
Calls · 8-21 days · ATM
calls cluster with 17 contracts traded, $3740 estimated gross traded notional, and 19% of visible notional.
$3740
Puts · 8-21 days · OTM
puts cluster with 173 contracts traded, $2900 estimated gross traded notional, and 15% of visible notional.
$2900
Puts · 8-21 days · ATM
puts cluster with 9 contracts traded, $2182 estimated gross traded notional, and 11% of visible notional.
$2182
Calls · 8-21 days · ITM
calls cluster with 1 contracts traded, $750 estimated gross traded notional, and 4% of visible notional.
$750
Setup Classification
Opportunity and risk frame
Positioning agrees with the Sharemaestro trend backdrop.
The tape is pricing or displaying unusually elevated activity.
Expected move or upcoming earnings makes the setup more event-sensitive.
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
Close63.84
1W+1.8%
RS6.1
Fair value+13.6%
Options pressure-63
Speculation16
Volatility55
Trend fit68
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 10:22
Mixed
Pressure 15
Move 8.3%
30 Jul 06:09
Mixed
Pressure 0
Move 7.5%
31 Jul 11:54
Bullish
Pressure 19
Move 7.5%
31 Jul 19:08
Mixed
Pressure -10
Move 7.4%
31 Jul 21:52
Mixed
Pressure -13
Move 7.2%
1 Aug 10:05
Bearish
Pressure -63
Move 7.2%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike30.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike32.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike35.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike37.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 2
Strike40.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike42.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike45.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 4
Puts · V 0 · OI 2
Strike47.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 345
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts44
Avg IV0.38
Put-call10.11
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts50
Avg IV0.33
Put-call-
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Contracts42
Avg IV0.31
Put-call-
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts44
Avg IV0.31
Put-call0.05
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts52
Avg IV0.30
Put-call-
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.40
Put IV0.44
Skew0.05
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.30
Put IV0.36
Skew0.06
16 Oct 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.28
Put IV0.34
Skew0.06
20 Nov 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.29
Put IV0.33
Skew0.04
18 Dec 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.27
Put IV0.33
Skew0.06
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractBALL260821P00050000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike50.00
Volume130
OI65
IV0.43
ContractBALL260821P00055000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike55.00
Volume40
OI197
IV0.29
ContractBALL261120C00065000
SideCall
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike65.00
Volume20
OI151
IV0.30
ContractBALL260821C00065000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike65.00
Volume17
OI339
IV0.36
ContractBALL260821P00065000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike65.00
Volume9
OI83
IV0.40
ContractBALL260821P00057500
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike57.50
Volume3
OI346
IV0.44
ContractBALL260821C00057500
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike57.50
Volume1
OI285
IV0.01
ContractBALL261016C00070000
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike70.00
Volume1
OI148
IV0.29
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.