Ticker Options Intelligence

CULP options intelligence

Culp, Inc. Common Stock options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 73 Market data through 30 Jul 2026 Checked 30 Jul 2026 16:44 · complete available chain

Volatility expansion watch

Volatility pressure

CULP currently carries volatility options pressure with a 73/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 39.6%, with volume/open-interest participation at 2.90.

Primary read Volatility

Volatility expansion watch

Expected move 39.6%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 2.90

Current volume is elevated versus prior open interest

Put-call 0.00

Call-side skew

Trend fit 0

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop -4.1%

RS -10.4

Expected move 39.6%
Put-call volume 0.00
Volume / OI 2.90
Reference IV 1.66
Max pain 5.00
Underlying 3.55
Nearest expiry 21 Aug 2026
Contracts 7

Research Brief

CULP has a volatility chain read with 73/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 2.14–4.96; The largest call open-interest concentration is 5.00; the largest put concentration is 5.00. The most active strike by current volume is 5.00.

Priced range2.14–4.96
Call concentration5.00
Put concentration5.00
Max pain reference5.00
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.
  • 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

Size, not direction · through 21 Aug

Options imply 2.14 to 4.96. Max pain at 5.00 lies outside the priced range, so it is a weak near-term anchor.

Spot Max pain
2.143.55 ± 1.414.96
Confirmation level

A close beyond 4.96 or below 2.14 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 73/100

Evidence alignment, not probability

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

Directional pressure100 × 42%
+42.0

How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.

Participation98 × 22%
+21.6

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.

Volatility96 × 10%
+9.6

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score73.2Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 5.00; the largest put concentration is 5.00. The most active strike by current volume is 5.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
1
5.0040.8%
95
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Volatility Curve

Front-loaded volatility

1.97× front/back

Near-term options are materially richer than later expirations, consistent with concentrated event or immediate-risk pricing.

1.66 21 Aug 22d
0.72 16 Oct 78d
0.84 15 Jan 169d

Volatility by Strike

Smile incomplete

Nearest expiry, within 20% of spot

There is not enough comparable OTM call and put volatility to classify the smile.

Comparable strike volatility is unavailable.

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

High

A92/100
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
Chain status
Complete available chain
Market date
30 Jul 2026
Calculation
v1.x legacy
Contracts
7 / 7
  • 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: $26652 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 46-90 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+100
1W price-4.1%
Call premium100%
Put premium0%
Notional split C 100% / P 0% Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness 2.90 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.
Conviction clusters Calls · 46-90 days · OTM
Calls · 46-90 days · OTM calls cluster with 785 contracts traded, $19625 estimated gross traded notional, and 74% of visible notional.
$19625
Calls · 22-45 days · OTM calls cluster with 830 contracts traded, $6640 estimated gross traded notional, and 25% of visible notional.
$6640
Calls · 46-90 days · ITM calls cluster with 2 contracts traded, $220 estimated gross traded notional, and 1% of visible notional.
$220
Puts · 22-45 days · ITM puts cluster with 1 contracts traded, $132 estimated gross traded notional, and 0% of visible notional.
$132
Calls · 91+ days · OTM calls cluster with 1 contracts traded, $35 estimated gross traded notional, and 0% of visible notional.
$35

Setup Classification

Opportunity and risk frame

Context, not advice
Warning Speculative chase

Participation is active enough to treat follow-through risk carefully.

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.

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

Sharemaestro weekly
Close3.55
1W-4.1%
RS-10.4
Fair value-22.0%
Options pressure100
Speculation98
Volatility96
Trend fit0

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 39.6% history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -
IV 1.66 history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -
Put-call 0.00 history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 2.90 history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -

Pressure Trail

Recent pressure and volatility

Open trail
29 Jul 11:49 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 18.5%
30 Jul 11:26 Mixed
Pressure 12
Move 19.1%
30 Jul 15:27 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 39.6%
30 Jul 15:44 Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 39.6%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike5.00
Calls · V 830 · OI 95
Puts · V 1 · OI 1

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts2
Avg IV1.66
Put-call0.00
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Contracts3
Avg IV0.72
Put-call-
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Contracts2
Avg IV0.84
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
21 Aug 2026Incomplete skew
Call IV1.47
Put IV-
Skew-
16 Oct 2026Incomplete skew
Call IV0.79
Put IV-
Skew-
15 Jan 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.70
Put IV0.99
Skew0.30

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractCULP270115P00002500
SidePut
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike2.50
Volume-
OI10
IV0.99
ContractCULP261016P00005000
SidePut
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike5.00
Volume-
OI-
IV0.00
ContractCULP260821C00005000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike5.00
Volume830
OI95
IV1.47
ContractCULP261016C00005000
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike5.00
Volume785
OI441
IV0.79
ContractCULP261016C00002500
SideCall
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike2.50
Volume2
OI9
IV1.37
ContractCULP270115C00005000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike5.00
Volume1
OI3
IV0.70
ContractCULP260821P00005000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike5.00
Volume1
OI1
IV1.86