Primary read
Volatility
Volatility expansion watch
Ticker Options Intelligence
BFAM options intelligence
Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
61
Market data through 30 Jul 2026
Checked 31 Jul 2026 09:00 · complete available chain
Volatility expansion watch
Volatility pressure
BFAM currently carries volatility options pressure with a 61/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 14.9%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.00.
Expected move
14.9%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.00
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
4.20
Put-side skew
Trend fit
59
Options are not fully confirming trend
Weekly backdrop
-1.6%
RS -24.3
Expected move
14.9%
Put-call volume
4.20
Volume / OI
0.00
Reference IV
0.70
Max pain
70.00
Underlying
75.77
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
146
Research Brief
BFAM has a volatility chain read with 61/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 64.47–87.07; The largest call open-interest concentration is 80.00; the largest put concentration is 70.00. The most active strike by current volume is 70.00.
Priced range64.47–87.07
Call concentration80.00
Put concentration70.00
Max pain reference70.00
- 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 64.47 to 87.07. Max pain at 70.00 sits inside that range, 7.6% below spot.
Spot
Max pain
64.4775.77 ± 11.3087.07
Confirmation level
A close beyond 87.07 or below 64.47 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 61/100
Pressure is 74/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure74 × 42%
+30.9
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation24 × 22%
+5.3
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement59 × 26%
+15.5
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility89 × 10%
+8.9
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 80.00; the largest put concentration is 70.00. The most active strike by current volume is 70.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
35.00-53.8%
0
0
40.00-47.2%
0
0
45.00-40.6%
0
1
50.00-34.0%
0
0
55.00-27.4%
0
2
60.00-20.8%
0
1
65.00-14.2%
0
5
70.00-7.6%
5
4
75.00-1.0%
5
0
80.005.6%
6
0
85.0012.2%
0
0
90.0018.8%
0
0
95.0025.4%
0
0
100.0032.0%
0
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.
0.70
21 Aug
22d
0.56
18 Sep
50d
0.47
18 Dec
141d
0.46
19 Mar
232d
Volatility by Strike
Upside optionality premium
Out-of-the-money calls carry higher implied volatility than comparable puts, indicating richer upside optionality.
65
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
Usable with limits
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
- Chain status
- Complete available chain
- Market date
- 30 Jul 2026
- Calculation
- v2.0
- Contracts
- 146 / 146
- 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
The strongest message is movement risk: expected move and implied volatility are carrying more signal than direction.
Options are pricing movement more than direction; compare expected move with the stock's actual weekly change.
Volatility expansion bet matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $7858 of estimated gross traded notional, puts · 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-74
1W price-1.6%
Call premium24%
Put premium76%
Notional split
C 24% / P 76%
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
59/100
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.
Puts · 8-21 days · OTM
puts cluster with 15 contracts traded, $3450 estimated gross traded notional, and 44% of visible notional.
$3450
Calls · 8-21 days · OTM
calls cluster with 5 contracts traded, $1925 estimated gross traded notional, and 24% of visible notional.
$1925
Puts · 8-21 days · ATM
puts cluster with 4 contracts traded, $1620 estimated gross traded notional, and 21% of visible notional.
$1620
Puts · 46-90 days · ATM
puts cluster with 1 contracts traded, $510 estimated gross traded notional, and 6% of visible notional.
$510
Puts · 46-90 days · OTM
puts cluster with 1 contracts traded, $352 estimated gross traded notional, and 4% of visible notional.
$352
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.
Activity Anomaly
Warming up
2 of 10 completed market sessions are available. More session history is needed before activity can be compared with a reliable normal.
Baseline: 2 completed sessions
Volume rank-
Volume/OI rank-
IV rank-
Market Context
Underlying confirmation
Close74.54
1W-1.6%
RS-24.3
Fair value-28.8%
Options pressure-74
Speculation24
Volatility89
Trend fit59
Today Versus Normal
Stored-options context
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 0/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 0/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 0/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions
-
Pressure Trail
Recent pressure and volatility
29 Jul 10:52
Mixed
Pressure -12
Move 16.8%
30 Jul 10:43
Volatility
Pressure -100
Move 18.2%
30 Jul 15:21
Volatility
Pressure -100
Move 15.5%
30 Jul 19:36
Volatility
Pressure -100
Move 16.1%
31 Jul 08:00
Volatility
Pressure -74
Move 14.9%
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 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike55.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike60.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 2
Strike65.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike70.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 5
Puts · V 15 · OI 5
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts28
Avg IV0.70
Put-call3.80
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts46
Avg IV0.56
Put-call-
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts38
Avg IV0.47
Put-call-
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Contracts34
Avg IV0.46
Put-call-
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.83
Put IV0.75
Skew-0.09
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.55
Put IV0.64
Skew0.09
18 Dec 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.43
Put IV0.50
Skew0.07
19 Mar 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.42
Put IV0.48
Skew0.06
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractBFAM260821P00070000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike70.00
Volume15
OI5
IV0.75
ContractBFAM260821C00080000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike80.00
Volume5
OI6
IV0.61
ContractBFAM260821P00075000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike75.00
Volume4
OI4
IV0.73
ContractBFAM260918P00075000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike75.00
Volume1
OI3
IV0.59
ContractBFAM260918P00070000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike70.00
Volume1
OI2
IV0.64
ContractBFAM260918P00060000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike60.00
Volume-
OI3000
IV0.28
ContractBFAM260918P00040000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike40.00
Volume-
OI3000
IV0.65
ContractBFAM261218P00070000
SidePut
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike70.00
Volume-
OI202
IV0.48
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
No upcoming matched earnings event.
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.