Primary read
Volatility
Volatility expansion watch
Ticker Options Intelligence
INTC options intelligence
Intel Corporation options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
56
Market data through 4 Aug 2026
Checked 4 Aug 2026 20:20 · partial chain
Volatility expansion watch
Volatility pressure
INTC currently carries volatility options pressure with a 56/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 12.8%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.20.
Expected move
12.8%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.20
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
0.36
Call-side skew
Trend fit
63
Options agree with trend context
Weekly backdrop
-2.3%
RS 43.6
Expected move
12.8%
Put-call volume
0.36
Volume / OI
0.20
Reference IV
1.02
Max pain
91.00
Underlying
90.20
Nearest expiry
5 Aug 2026
Contracts
2000
Research Brief
INTC has a volatility chain read with 56/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 78.70–101.70; The largest call open-interest concentration is 104.00; the largest put concentration is 90.00. The most active strike by current volume is 100.00.
Priced range78.70–101.70
Call concentration104.00
Put concentration90.00
Max pain reference91.00
- A clear directional pressure reading develops and price begins to agree.
- The current chain read already agrees with the stored weekly trend context.
- Volatility falls and the chain remains directionally mixed.
- 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 78.70 to 101.70. Max pain at 91.00 sits inside that range, 0.9% above spot.
Spot
Max pain
78.7090.20 ± 11.50101.70
Confirmation level
A close beyond 101.70 or below 78.70 at the 5 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 56/100
Pressure is 47/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure47 × 42%
+19.7
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation45 × 22%
+9.8
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement63 × 26%
+16.4
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility96 × 10%
+9.6
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 104.00; the largest put concentration is 90.00. 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
606
88.00-2.4%
504
5346
90.00-0.2%
878
1907
91.000.9%
1148
296
93.003.1%
1341
124
95.005.3%
6918
296
96.006.4%
962
183
97.007.5%
603
104
98.008.6%
707
23
99.009.8%
1014
245
100.0010.9%
8173
22
101.0012.0%
524
63
102.0013.1%
3266
16
103.0014.2%
571
23
104.0015.3%
11344
9
105.0016.4%
8494
1
110.0022.0%
1006
0
125.0038.6%
4598
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry
Gamma Profile by Strike
Balanced gamma proxy
Call- and put-side gamma sensitivity is broadly balanced across the retained chain. Individual strike concentrations may still matter more than the chain-wide net.
Net profile+$24.9MDelta change / 1% move
Positive peak110.00+$7.8M
Negative peak80.00-$7.6M
Nearest balance90.95Interpolated sign change
StrikeNegativePositiveNet / 1% move
82.50-8.5%
-$1.2M
83.00-8.0%
-$597,229
84.00-6.9%
+$1.3M
85.00-5.8%
-$3.3M
86.00-4.7%
+$275,220
87.00-3.5%
+$475,088
87.50-3.0%
-$1.3M
88.00-2.4%
-$348,730
89.00-1.3%
+$473,854
90.00-0.2%
-$4.8M
91.000.9%
+$274,153
91.501.4%
+$83,515
92.002.0%
+$822,687
92.502.5%
-$789,323
93.003.1%
+$1.1M
94.004.2%
+$554,615
95.005.3%
+$1.3M
96.006.4%
+$1.4M
97.007.5%
+$871,484
97.508.1%
-$1.1M
98.008.6%
+$507,210
Positive call-side proxy Negative put-side proxyHighlighted row is nearest spot strike
Scenario proxy = gamma × open interest × 100 shares × spot² × 1%. Calls are positive and puts negative by convention. Missing Greeks use a Black-Scholes estimate from stored IV with zero rate and dividend assumptions. Open interest does not reveal who is long or short, so this is not observed dealer positioning or a forecast.
Volatility Curve
Front-loaded volatility
Near-term options are materially richer than later expirations, consistent with concentrated event or immediate-risk pricing.
1.02
5 Aug
1d
1.01
7 Aug
3d
0.83
10 Aug
6d
0.85
12 Aug
8d
0.89
14 Aug
10d
0.87
21 Aug
17d
0.87
28 Aug
24d
0.87
4 Sep
31d
Volatility by Strike
Downside protection premium
Out-of-the-money puts carry higher implied volatility than comparable calls, indicating richer downside protection.
73
75
77
78
80
82
83
85
87
89
91
92
94
96
97
99
101
103
105
106
108
Put IV Call IV
Historical Replay
How matured reads behaved through expiry
1 stored transitions are available, but none had a directional bullish or bearish label.
Directional follow-through-
Moves contained by pricing100%
Average expiry move2.3%
30 Jul
Volatility · 53
-2.3% through expiry
4.5% priced · v2.0
Eligible snapshots must have a dated market session, stored signal, and point-in-time market reference. Each observation uses one read per market session and the first stored weekly close on or immediately after expiry; its original calculation version is retained. It is an evidence audit, not an executable strategy or evidence of future performance.
Evidence Quality
Good
Retained chain82%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
- Chain status
- Retained chain subset
- Market date
- 4 Aug 2026
- Calculation
- v2.0
- Contracts
- 2000 / 2451
- 82% of provider contracts were retained for this snapshot.
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: $622.4M of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 0-7 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+47
1W price-2.3%
Call premium85%
Put premium15%
Notional split
C 85% / P 15%
Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness
0.20
Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit
63/100
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.
Calls · 0-7 days · ITM
calls cluster with 92235 contracts traded, $285.5M estimated gross traded notional, and 46% of visible notional.
$285.5M
Calls · 0-7 days · OTM
calls cluster with 385945 contracts traded, $97.8M estimated gross traded notional, and 16% of visible notional.
$97.8M
Calls · 8-21 days · OTM
calls cluster with 99708 contracts traded, $35.6M estimated gross traded notional, and 6% of visible notional.
$35.6M
Calls · 91+ days · OTM
calls cluster with 25082 contracts traded, $33.2M estimated gross traded notional, and 5% of visible notional.
$33.2M
Calls · 22-45 days · OTM
calls cluster with 45711 contracts traded, $30.6M estimated gross traded notional, and 5% of visible notional.
$30.6M
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.
Underlying price is close to the max-pain zone.
Activity Anomaly
Warming up
5 of 10 completed market sessions are available. More session history is needed before activity can be compared with a reliable normal.
Baseline: 5 completed sessions
Volume rank-
Volume/OI rank-
IV rank-
Market Context
Underlying confirmation
Close90.20
1W-2.3%
RS43.6
Fair value+127.9%
Options pressure47
Speculation45
Volatility96
Trend fit63
Today Versus Normal
Stored-options context
30d avg - · 5/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 5/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 5/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 5/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 5/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 5/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 5/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 5/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 5/60 sessions
-
30d avg - · 5/10 sessions
-
90d avg - · 5/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 5/60 sessions
-
Pressure Trail
Recent pressure and volatility
29 Jul 18:50
Volatility
Pressure 26
Move 8.3%
29 Jul 19:11
Volatility
Pressure 27
Move 6.5%
29 Jul 19:35
Bullish
Pressure 28
Move 7.3%
30 Jul 13:03
Volatility
Pressure 39
Move 11.5%
30 Jul 14:02
Volatility
Pressure 29
Move 5.4%
30 Jul 14:30
Volatility
Pressure 44
Move 5.4%
30 Jul 15:10
Volatility
Pressure 38
Move 5.2%
30 Jul 16:20
Volatility
Pressure 29
Move 5.2%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike50.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 6 · OI 3
Strike55.00
Calls · V 32 · OI 1
Puts · V 3 · OI 193
Strike60.00
Calls · V 33 · OI 4
Puts · V 4 · OI 97
Strike64.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 1 · OI 11
Strike65.00
Calls · V 29 · OI 15
Puts · V 6 · OI 227
Strike67.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 4 · OI 177
Strike68.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 1 · OI 74
Strike69.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 2 · OI 29
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry5 Aug 2026
Contracts129
Avg IV1.02
Put-call0.41
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Contracts199
Avg IV1.01
Put-call0.21
Expiry10 Aug 2026
Contracts95
Avg IV0.83
Put-call0.34
Expiry12 Aug 2026
Contracts89
Avg IV0.85
Put-call0.29
Expiry14 Aug 2026
Contracts181
Avg IV0.89
Put-call0.42
Skew
Call/put IV balance
5 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.84
Put IV1.16
Skew0.31
7 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.95
Put IV1.07
Skew0.12
10 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.83
Put IV0.91
Skew0.08
12 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.81
Put IV0.93
Skew0.12
14 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.90
Put IV0.93
Skew0.03
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractINTC260812P00071000
SidePut
Expiry12 Aug 2026
Strike71.00
Volume-
OI398
IV1.39
ContractINTC260810P00055000
SidePut
Expiry10 Aug 2026
Strike55.00
Volume-
OI215
IV1.78
ContractINTC270219P00150000
SidePut
Expiry19 Feb 2027
Strike150.00
Volume-
OI27
IV0.76
ContractINTC260828P00136000
SidePut
Expiry28 Aug 2026
Strike136.00
Volume-
OI25
IV1.02
ContractINTC260810P00108000
SidePut
Expiry10 Aug 2026
Strike108.00
Volume-
OI25
IV0.96
ContractINTC260805C00131000
SideCall
Expiry5 Aug 2026
Strike131.00
Volume-
OI22
IV1.48
ContractINTC260810C00065000
SideCall
Expiry10 Aug 2026
Strike65.00
Volume-
OI20
IV2.52
ContractINTC260807C00045000
SideCall
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Strike45.00
Volume-
OI6
IV4.35
Research Graph
Related research and context
Sharemaestro research
Related News
Market Watch
Intel Corporation (INTC) shows active-screen weakness as intraday chart firms30 Jul 2026 14:44
Intel Corporation (INTC) weekly slide stretches across the chip tape22 Jul 2026 23:44
Intel Corporation (INTC) draws active trading as shares slip 2.0%20 Jul 2026 18:29
Intel Corporation (INTC) flags active-screen weakness with a 6.1% drop14 Jul 2026 18:24
Intel Corporation (INTC) endures an 11.8% four-week drawdown13 Jul 2026 21:24
Intel Corporation (INTC) shows active demand, but today’s path is uneven10 Jul 2026 17:40
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.