Ticker Options Intelligence

SAH options intelligence

Sonic Automotive Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 57 Market data through 29 Jul 2026 Checked 30 Jul 2026 05:40 · complete available chain

Volatility expansion watch

Volatility pressure

SAH currently carries volatility options pressure with a 57/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 16.8%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.52.

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

Volatility expansion watch

Expected move 16.8%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 0.52

Current volume is elevated versus prior open interest

Put-call 5.73

Put-side skew

Trend fit 14

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop -0.5%

RS 29.7

Expected move 16.8%
Put-call volume 5.73
Volume / OI 0.52
Reference IV 0.51
Max pain 100.00
Underlying 99.82
Nearest expiry 21 Aug 2026
Contracts 228

Research Brief

SAH has a volatility chain read with 57/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 83.02–116.62; The largest call open-interest concentration is 105.00; the largest put concentration is 100.00. The most active strike by current volume is 100.00.

Priced range83.02–116.62
Call concentration105.00
Put concentration100.00
Max pain reference100.00
What would confirm it
  • A clear directional pressure reading develops and price begins to agree.
What would weaken it
  • Volatility falls and the chain remains directionally mixed.
  • Options and the weekly trend are not yet giving the same message.

Priced Move

Where the chain says movement becomes exceptional

Size, not direction · through 21 Aug

Options imply 83.02 to 116.62. Max pain at 100.00 sits inside that range, 0.2% above spot.

Spot Max pain
83.0299.82 ± 16.80116.62
Confirmation level

A close beyond 116.62 or below 83.02 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 57/100

Evidence alignment, not probability

Pressure is 82/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.

Directional pressure82 × 42%
+34.6

How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.

Participation52 × 22%
+11.5

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

Trend agreement14 × 26%
+3.6

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

Volatility75 × 10%
+7.5

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score57.2Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 105.00; the largest put concentration is 100.00. The most active strike by current volume is 100.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
30.00-69.9%
0
0
35.00-64.9%
0
0
40.00-59.9%
0
1
45.00-54.9%
5
36
50.00-49.9%
0
1
55.00-44.9%
0
2
60.00-39.9%
0
0
65.00-34.9%
17
7
70.00-29.9%
0
3
75.00-24.9%
3
0
90.00-9.8%
1
0
95.00-4.8%
2
608
100.000.2%
2
15
105.005.2%
92
0
110.0010.2%
1
0
115.0015.2%
0
0
120.0020.2%
0
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Volatility Curve

Balanced volatility curve

1.05× front/back

Near- and longer-dated implied volatility are broadly aligned; no exceptional front-expiry premium is visible.

0.51 21 Aug 22d
0.54 18 Sep 50d
0.50 20 Nov 113d
0.49 18 Dec 141d
0.48 19 Feb 204d

Volatility by Strike

Upside optionality premium

Nearest expiry, within 20% of spot

Out-of-the-money calls carry higher implied volatility than comparable puts, indicating richer upside optionality.

80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
Put IV Call IV

Historical Replay

How matured reads behaved through expiry

0 directional observations

No independently verifiable option-expiry outcomes have matured yet. Legacy snapshots without a point-in-time market reference and repeated same-session snapshots are deliberately excluded.

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

C69/100
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
Chain status
Complete available chain
Market date
29 Jul 2026
Calculation
v1.x legacy
Contracts
228 / 228
  • 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

92/100
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: $1.3M of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 22-45 days · itm, 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-82
1W price-0.5%
Call premium71%
Put premium29%
Notional split C 71% / P 29% Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness 0.52 Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit 14/100 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 · 22-45 days · ITM
Calls · 22-45 days · ITM calls cluster with 145 contracts traded, $936650 estimated gross traded notional, and 71% of visible notional.
$936650
Puts · 22-45 days · ITM puts cluster with 261 contracts traded, $225765 estimated gross traded notional, and 17% of visible notional.
$225765
Puts · 22-45 days · ATM puts cluster with 582 contracts traded, $148410 estimated gross traded notional, and 11% of visible notional.
$148410
Calls · 22-45 days · OTM calls cluster with 1 contracts traded, $375 estimated gross traded notional, and 0% of visible notional.
$375
Calls · 91+ days · OTM calls cluster with 1 contracts traded, $298 estimated gross traded notional, and 0% of visible notional.
$298

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.

Warning Crowded strike risk

Underlying price is close to the max-pain zone.

Activity Anomaly

Warming up

-

1 of 10 completed market sessions are available. More session history is needed before activity can be compared with a reliable normal.

Baseline: 1 completed session

Volume rank-
Volume/OI rank-
IV rank-

Market Context

Underlying confirmation

Sharemaestro weekly
Close99.82
1W-0.5%
RS29.7
Fair value+61.8%
Options pressure-82
Speculation52
Volatility75
Trend fit14

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 16.8% history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
IV 0.51 history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
Put-call 5.73 history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 0.52 history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -

Pressure Trail

Recent pressure and volatility

Open trail
29 Jul 10:56 Volatility
Pressure -80
Move 12.6%
30 Jul 04:40 Volatility
Pressure -82
Move 16.8%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike30.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
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 55 · OI 5
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike50.00
Calls · V 90 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 36
Strike55.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike60.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 2
Strike65.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 17
Puts · V 0 · OI 0

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts44
Avg IV0.51
Put-call5.77
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts42
Avg IV0.54
Put-call-
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts50
Avg IV0.50
Put-call-
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts48
Avg IV0.49
Put-call-
Expiry19 Feb 2027
Contracts44
Avg IV0.48
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.58
Put IV1.51
Skew0.93
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.50
Put IV0.57
Skew0.07
20 Nov 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.49
Put IV0.51
Skew0.02
18 Dec 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.47
Put IV0.50
Skew0.03
19 Feb 2027Balanced skew
Call IV0.47
Put IV0.50
Skew0.03

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractSAH260821P00100000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike100.00
Volume582
OI608
IV0.68
ContractSAH260821P00115000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike115.00
Volume261
OI-
IV0.67
ContractSAH260821C00050000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike50.00
Volume90
OI-
IV0.01
ContractSAH260821C00045000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike45.00
Volume55
OI5
IV0.01
ContractSAH260821C00120000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike120.00
Volume1
OI-
IV0.58
ContractSAH261120C00150000
SideCall
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike150.00
Volume1
OI-
IV0.49
ContractSAH260918P00075000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike75.00
Volume-
OI200
IV0.40
ContractSAH261218P00075000
SidePut
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike75.00
Volume-
OI183
IV0.24