Primary read
Bullish
Call-side pressure
Ticker Options Intelligence
HAL options intelligence
Halliburton Company options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
45
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 1 Aug 2026 19:01 · complete available chain
Call-side pressure
Bullish pressure
HAL currently carries bullish options pressure with a 45/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 4.0%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.04.
Expected move
4.0%
Near-term move context
Activity / OI
0.04
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
0.15
Call-side skew
Trend fit
0
Options are not fully confirming trend
Weekly backdrop
-3.3%
RS -4.8
Expected move
4.0%
Put-call volume
0.15
Volume / OI
0.04
Reference IV
0.35
Max pain
32.50
Underlying
32.25
Nearest expiry
7 Aug 2026
Contracts
672
Research Brief
HAL has a bullish chain read with 45/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 30.97–33.53; The largest call open-interest concentration is 38.00; the largest put concentration is 32.00. The most active strike by current volume is 32.50.
Priced range30.97–33.53
Call concentration38.00
Put concentration32.00
Max pain reference32.50
- 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.
Priced Move
Where the chain says movement becomes exceptional
Options imply 30.97 to 33.53. Max pain at 32.50 sits inside that range, 0.8% above spot.
Spot
Max pain
30.9732.25 ± 1.2833.53
Confirmation level
A close beyond 33.53 or below 30.97 at the 7 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 45/100
Pressure is 77/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure77 × 42%
+32.4
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation41 × 22%
+9.0
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement0 × 26%
+0.0
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility40 × 10%
+4.0
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 38.00; the largest put concentration is 32.00. The most active strike by current volume is 32.50. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
146
29.00-10.1%
3
186
30.00-7.0%
4
471
30.50-5.4%
22
121
31.00-3.9%
141
229
31.50-2.3%
137
893
32.00-0.8%
18
42
32.500.8%
42
164
33.002.3%
99
22
33.503.9%
296
59
34.005.4%
208
4
34.507.0%
309
72
35.008.5%
390
1
35.5010.1%
103
3
36.0011.6%
126
0
38.0017.8%
606
0
38.5019.4%
516
0
40.0024.0%
128
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry
Volatility Curve
Balanced volatility curve
Near- and longer-dated implied volatility are broadly aligned; no exceptional front-expiry premium is visible.
0.35
7 Aug
7d
0.35
14 Aug
14d
0.35
21 Aug
21d
0.36
28 Aug
28d
0.35
4 Sep
35d
0.36
11 Sep
42d
0.35
18 Sep
49d
0.37
16 Oct
77d
Volatility by Strike
Balanced wings
Comparable upside calls and downside puts carry broadly similar implied volatility.
26
27
28
29
30
30
31
31
32
32
33
34
34
35
35
36
36
37
38
38
39
Put IV Call IV
Historical Replay
How matured reads behaved through expiry
Forward validation is building. The earliest eligible stored read expires 31 Jul 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
- 672 / 672
- 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
Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate
Activity is spread across expirations with heavier open interest than current volume, which can be consistent with position maintenance.
Options are leaning call-side while the stock is down on the week, a divergence that needs price confirmation.
Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $1.7M of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 0-7 days · atm, and a bullish flow against weak price backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.
Options pressure+77
1W price-3.3%
Call premium87%
Put premium13%
Notional split
C 87% / P 13%
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
0/100
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.
Roll detection is conservative because opening and closing legs are not directly observable in this snapshot.
Calls · 0-7 days · ATM
calls cluster with 10626 contracts traded, $556107 estimated gross traded notional, and 33% of visible notional.
$556107
Calls · 46-90 days · ATM
calls cluster with 2500 contracts traded, $329540 estimated gross traded notional, and 20% of visible notional.
$329540
Calls · 91+ days · ITM
calls cluster with 413 contracts traded, $263740 estimated gross traded notional, and 16% of visible notional.
$263740
Calls · 46-90 days · OTM
calls cluster with 794 contracts traded, $74548 estimated gross traded notional, and 4% of visible notional.
$74548
Puts · 46-90 days · OTM
puts cluster with 810 contracts traded, $60283 estimated gross traded notional, and 4% of visible notional.
$60283
Setup Classification
Opportunity and risk frame
Options positioning is not confirming the underlying trend context.
Underlying price is close to the max-pain zone.
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
Close32.25
1W-3.3%
RS-4.8
Fair value+6.0%
Options pressure77
Speculation41
Volatility40
Trend fit0
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 10:13
Volatility
Pressure 66
Move 8.9%
30 Jul 09:34
Mixed
Pressure -13
Move 7.6%
31 Jul 05:25
Mixed
Pressure 7
Move 4.9%
31 Jul 23:48
Bullish
Pressure 48
Move 4.4%
1 Aug 00:27
Bullish
Pressure 76
Move 4.4%
1 Aug 08:59
Bullish
Pressure 77
Move 4.8%
1 Aug 18:01
Bullish
Pressure 77
Move 4.0%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike22.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike23.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike24.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike25.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike26.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike27.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 10
Strike28.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 2
Puts · V 0 · OI 40
Strike28.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Contracts76
Avg IV0.35
Put-call0.06
Expiry14 Aug 2026
Contracts74
Avg IV0.35
Put-call0.40
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts80
Avg IV0.35
Put-call0.35
Expiry28 Aug 2026
Contracts50
Avg IV0.36
Put-call0.91
Expiry4 Sep 2026
Contracts48
Avg IV0.35
Put-call0.18
Skew
Call/put IV balance
7 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.36
Put IV0.35
Skew-0.01
14 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.37
Put IV0.34
Skew-0.03
21 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.35
Put IV0.34
Skew-0.01
28 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.35
Put IV0.36
Skew0.01
4 Sep 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.34
Put IV0.39
Skew0.05
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractHAL260807C00032500
SideCall
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Strike32.50
Volume10210
OI42
IV0.35
ContractHAL260918C00033000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike33.00
Volume2432
OI5371
IV0.33
ContractHAL261016C00035000
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike35.00
Volume622
OI567
IV0.35
ContractHAL260918P00029000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike29.00
Volume337
OI2819
IV0.37
ContractHAL270319C00030000
SideCall
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Strike30.00
Volume287
OI25
IV0.37
ContractHAL260807P00030000
SidePut
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Strike30.00
Volume271
OI186
IV0.40
ContractHAL260807C00035000
SideCall
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Strike35.00
Volume234
OI390
IV0.37
ContractHAL260807C00033000
SideCall
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Strike33.00
Volume208
OI99
IV0.35
Research Graph
Related research and context
Sharemaestro research
Related News
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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.