Primary read
Bullish
Call-side pressure
Ticker Options Intelligence
ASC options intelligence
Ardmore Shpng options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
39
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 2 Aug 2026 16:27 · complete available chain
Call-side pressure
Bullish pressure
ASC currently carries bullish options pressure with a 39/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 9.5%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.02.
Expected move
9.5%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.02
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
0.66
Call-side skew
Trend fit
71
Options agree with trend context
Weekly backdrop
+4.7%
RS 17.7
Expected move
9.5%
Put-call volume
0.66
Volume / OI
0.02
Reference IV
0.44
Max pain
15.00
Underlying
17.39
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
90
Research Brief
ASC has a bullish chain read with 39/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 15.74–19.04; The largest call open-interest concentration is 17.50; the largest put concentration is 15.00. The most active strike by current volume is 17.50.
Priced range15.74–19.04
Call concentration17.50
Put concentration15.00
Max pain reference15.00
- Price holds or improves while call-side concentration remains elevated.
- The current chain read already agrees with the stored weekly trend context.
- Price weakens while call pressure fades or reverses toward puts.
- 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 15.74 to 19.04. Max pain at 15.00 lies outside the priced range, so it is a weak near-term anchor.
Spot
Max pain
15.7417.39 ± 1.6519.04
Confirmation level
A close beyond 19.04 or below 15.74 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 39/100
Pressure is 27/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure27 × 42%
+11.3
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation12 × 22%
+2.6
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement71 × 26%
+18.6
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility68 × 10%
+6.8
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 17.50; the largest put concentration is 15.00. The most active strike by current volume is 17.50. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
2.50-85.6%
1
1
5.00-71.2%
2
0
7.50-56.9%
2
1
10.00-42.5%
0
21
12.50-28.1%
43
104
15.00-13.7%
75
54
17.500.6%
240
3
20.0015.0%
37
5
22.5029.4%
0
1
25.0043.8%
0
0
30.0072.5%
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.
0.44
21 Aug
21d
0.41
18 Sep
49d
0.42
16 Oct
77d
0.31
15 Jan
168d
Volatility by Strike
Balanced wings
Comparable upside calls and downside puts carry broadly similar implied volatility.
15
18
20
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
- 90 / 90
- 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
Call-heavy activity with trend alignment
Call concentration and the underlying trend align, but aggregate volume cannot establish whether calls were bought or sold.
Options pressure and weekly price action are pointing in the same constructive direction.
Call-heavy activity with trend alignment matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $10414 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 91+ days · itm, and a bullish flow confirms price backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.
Options pressure+27
1W price+4.7%
Call premium78%
Put premium22%
Notional split
C 78% / P 22%
Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness
0.02
Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit
71/100
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 · 91+ days · ITM
calls cluster with 20 contracts traded, $5950 estimated gross traded notional, and 57% of visible notional.
$5950
Puts · 46-90 days · OTM
puts cluster with 25 contracts traded, $1385 estimated gross traded notional, and 13% of visible notional.
$1385
Calls · 8-21 days · ATM
calls cluster with 16 contracts traded, $1120 estimated gross traded notional, and 11% of visible notional.
$1120
Puts · 46-90 days · ATM
puts cluster with 4 contracts traded, $780 estimated gross traded notional, and 7% of visible notional.
$780
Calls · 8-21 days · ITM
calls cluster with 3 contracts traded, $772 estimated gross traded notional, and 7% of visible notional.
$772
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.
Call pressure is building while the stock sits above Sharemaestro fair value.
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
Close17.39
1W+4.7%
RS17.7
Fair value+31.0%
Options pressure27
Speculation12
Volatility68
Trend fit71
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 11:20
Volatility
Pressure -59
Move 15.4%
30 Jul 11:05
Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 13.5%
31 Jul 10:44
Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 13.7%
2 Aug 15:27
Bullish
Pressure 27
Move 9.5%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike2.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike5.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 2
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike7.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 2
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike10.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 1 · OI 1
Strike12.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 43
Puts · V 0 · OI 21
Strike15.00
Calls · V 3 · OI 75
Puts · V 0 · OI 104
Strike17.50
Calls · V 16 · OI 240
Puts · V 1 · OI 54
Strike20.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 37
Puts · V 0 · OI 3
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts22
Avg IV0.44
Put-call0.11
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts22
Avg IV0.41
Put-call1.00
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Contracts22
Avg IV0.42
Put-call-
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Contracts24
Avg IV0.31
Put-call-
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.29
Put IV0.31
Skew0.02
18 Sep 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.42
Put IV0.21
Skew-0.21
16 Oct 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.40
Put IV0.62
Skew0.22
15 Jan 2027Call IV premium
Call IV0.38
Put IV0.12
Skew-0.25
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractASC270115C00015000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike15.00
Volume20
OI14
IV0.28
ContractASC261016P00015000
SidePut
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike15.00
Volume16
OI331
IV0.62
ContractASC260821C00017500
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike17.50
Volume16
OI240
IV0.44
ContractASC260918C00020000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike20.00
Volume7
OI-
IV0.42
ContractASC261016P00017500
SidePut
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike17.50
Volume4
OI39
IV0.62
ContractASC260918P00010000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike10.00
Volume4
OI-
IV0.65
ContractASC260821C00015000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike15.00
Volume3
OI75
IV0.58
ContractASC261016P00005000
SidePut
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike5.00
Volume2
OI-
IV1.11
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.