Primary read
Bearish
Put-side pressure
Ticker Options Intelligence
HURN options intelligence
Huron Consulting Group Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
60
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 2 Aug 2026 02:50 · complete available chain
Put-side pressure
Bearish pressure
HURN currently carries bearish options pressure with a 60/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 7.6%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.07.
Expected move
7.6%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.07
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
4.11
Put-side skew
Trend fit
75
Options agree with trend context
Weekly backdrop
+35.1%
RS -1.7
Expected move
7.6%
Put-call volume
4.11
Volume / OI
0.07
Reference IV
0.42
Max pain
155.00
Underlying
151.77
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
362
Research Brief
HURN has a bearish chain read with 60/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 140.17–163.37; The largest call open-interest concentration is 125.00; the largest put concentration is 160.00. The most active strike by current volume is 155.00.
Priced range140.17–163.37
Call concentration125.00
Put concentration160.00
Max pain reference155.00
- 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.
Priced Move
Where the chain says movement becomes exceptional
Options imply 140.17 to 163.37. Max pain at 155.00 sits inside that range, 2.1% above spot.
Spot
Max pain
140.17151.77 ± 11.60163.37
Confirmation level
A close beyond 163.37 or below 140.17 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 60/100
Pressure is 61/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure61 × 42%
+25.6
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation42 × 22%
+9.2
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement75 × 26%
+19.6
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility60 × 10%
+6.0
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 125.00; the largest put concentration is 160.00. The most active strike by current volume is 155.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
7
50.00-67.1%
0
24
55.00-63.8%
0
5
85.00-44.0%
0
5
90.00-40.7%
0
3
95.00-37.4%
1
0
100.00-34.1%
3
1
105.00-30.8%
17
3
115.00-24.2%
7
4
120.00-20.9%
1
4
125.00-17.6%
18
4
130.00-14.3%
10
15
135.00-11.0%
1
12
145.00-4.5%
0
8
150.00-1.2%
3
26
155.002.1%
0
45
160.005.4%
2
3
170.0012.0%
0
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry
Volatility Curve
Back-loaded volatility
Longer-dated options carry more implied volatility than the front expiry, so risk is priced farther out.
0.42
21 Aug
21d
0.42
18 Sep
49d
0.48
20 Nov
112d
0.48
18 Dec
140d
0.50
19 Mar
231d
Volatility by Strike
Downside protection premium
Out-of-the-money puts carry higher implied volatility than comparable calls, indicating richer downside protection.
125
130
135
140
145
150
155
160
165
170
175
180
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
- 362 / 362
- 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
Put-heavy activity
Put-side activity dominates. This can reflect hedging or directional positioning, but the chain alone cannot distinguish buying from selling.
Put-side pressure is building while price is rising, a cautionary divergence.
Put-heavy activity matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $259310 of estimated gross traded notional, puts · 91+ days · itm, 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-61
1W price+35.1%
Call premium23%
Put premium77%
Notional split
C 23% / P 77%
Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness
0.07
Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit
75/100
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 · 91+ days · ITM
puts cluster with 33 contracts traded, $105140 estimated gross traded notional, and 41% of visible notional.
$105140
Puts · 46-90 days · ITM
puts cluster with 15 contracts traded, $34465 estimated gross traded notional, and 13% of visible notional.
$34465
Calls · 91+ days · ATM
calls cluster with 14 contracts traded, $33320 estimated gross traded notional, and 13% of visible notional.
$33320
Puts · 91+ days · ATM
puts cluster with 12 contracts traded, $20090 estimated gross traded notional, and 8% of visible notional.
$20090
Puts · 8-21 days · ATM
puts cluster with 24 contracts traded, $18755 estimated gross traded notional, and 7% of visible notional.
$18755
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.
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
Close151.77
1W+35.1%
RS-1.7
Fair value+24.1%
Options pressure-61
Speculation42
Volatility60
Trend fit75
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 11:04
Volatility
Pressure -43
Move 18.0%
30 Jul 10:52
Bearish
Pressure -69
Move 8.3%
30 Jul 15:23
Volatility
Pressure -25
Move 40.7%
30 Jul 15:41
Volatility
Pressure -25
Move 39.8%
30 Jul 19:45
Mixed
Pressure -15
Move 39.5%
2 Aug 01:50
Bearish
Pressure -61
Move 7.6%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike50.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 7
Strike55.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 24
Strike60.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike65.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike70.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 2
Strike75.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike80.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 2
Strike85.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 5
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts72
Avg IV0.42
Put-call12.00
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts76
Avg IV0.42
Put-call5.50
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts72
Avg IV0.48
Put-call-
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts72
Avg IV0.48
Put-call4.00
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Contracts70
Avg IV0.50
Put-call1.82
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.43
Put IV0.49
Skew0.06
18 Sep 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.41
Put IV0.45
Skew0.05
20 Nov 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.44
Put IV0.53
Skew0.09
18 Dec 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.44
Put IV0.51
Skew0.07
19 Mar 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.45
Put IV0.52
Skew0.07
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractHURN270319P00170000
SidePut
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Strike170.00
Volume27
OI4
IV0.48
ContractHURN260821P00155000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike155.00
Volume23
OI26
IV0.43
ContractHURN270319C00155000
SideCall
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Strike155.00
Volume14
OI1
IV0.49
ContractHURN260821P00135000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike135.00
Volume12
OI15
IV0.60
ContractHURN260918P00175000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike175.00
Volume12
OI12
IV0.42
ContractHURN261218P00150000
SidePut
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike150.00
Volume10
OI111
IV0.48
ContractHURN260821P00160000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike160.00
Volume10
OI45
IV0.44
ContractHURN260918P00150000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike150.00
Volume5
OI7
IV0.43
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.