Ticker Options Intelligence

NEU options intelligence

NewMarket Corporation options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 51 Market data through 31 Jul 2026 Checked 1 Aug 2026 05:31 · complete available chain

Put-side pressure

Bearish pressure

NEU currently carries bearish options pressure with a 51/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 10.5%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.00.

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

Put-side pressure

Expected move 10.5%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 0.00

Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest

Put-call -

Balanced tape

Trend fit 21

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop +9.1%

RS 7.5

Expected move 10.5%
Put-call volume -
Volume / OI 0.00
Reference IV 0.36
Max pain 855.00
Underlying 779.33
Nearest expiry 21 Aug 2026
Contracts 762

Research Brief

NEU has a bearish chain read with 51/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 697.23–861.43; The largest call open-interest concentration is 855.00; the largest put concentration is 750.00. The most active strike by current volume is 745.00.

Priced range697.23–861.43
Call concentration855.00
Put concentration750.00
Max pain reference855.00
What would confirm it
  • Price remains weak while put-side concentration persists.
What would weaken it
  • Price recovers while put pressure fades or reverses toward calls.
  • 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 697.23 to 861.43. Max pain at 855.00 sits inside that range, 9.7% above spot.

Spot Max pain
697.23779.33 ± 82.10861.43
Confirmation level

A close beyond 861.43 or below 697.23 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 51/100

Evidence alignment, not probability

Pressure is 89/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.

Directional pressure89 × 42%
+37.4

How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.

Participation8 × 22%
+1.8

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

Trend agreement21 × 26%
+5.4

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

Volatility65 × 10%
+6.5

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score51.0Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 855.00; the largest put concentration is 750.00. The most active strike by current volume is 745.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
570.00-26.9%
0
0
575.00-26.2%
1
0
580.00-25.6%
0
3
620.00-20.4%
0
0
675.00-13.4%
1
1
740.00-5.0%
0
1
745.00-4.4%
0
4
750.00-3.8%
0
1
775.00-0.6%
0
2
785.000.7%
0
1
790.001.4%
0
0
815.004.6%
1
0
855.009.7%
4
3
870.0011.6%
0
0
905.0016.1%
1
0
910.0016.8%
1
1
955.0022.5%
0
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Volatility Curve

Front-loaded volatility

1.13× front/back

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

0.36 21 Aug 21d
0.31 18 Sep 49d
0.32 18 Dec 140d
0.32 19 Mar 231d

Volatility by Strike

Downside protection premium

Nearest expiry, within 20% of spot

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

625
640
655
670
685
705
720
735
750
765
780
795
810
825
840
855
875
890
905
920
935
Put IV Call IV

Historical Replay

How matured reads behaved through expiry

0 directional observations

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

A100/100
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
Chain status
Complete available chain
Market date
31 Jul 2026
Calculation
v2.0
Contracts
762 / 762
  • 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

94/100
Primary intent Put-heavy activity

Put-side activity dominates. This can reflect hedging or directional positioning, but the chain alone cannot distinguish buying from selling.

Flow vs price divergence Bearish flow against rising price

Put-side pressure is building while price is rising, a cautionary divergence.

Why this matters

Put-heavy activity matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $1432 of estimated gross traded notional, puts · 46-90 days · atm, 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-89
1W price+9.1%
Call premium0%
Put premium100%
Notional split C 0% / P 100% Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness 0.00 Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit 21/100 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 Puts · 46-90 days · ATM
Puts · 46-90 days · ATM puts cluster with 1 contracts traded, $1025 estimated gross traded notional, and 72% of visible notional.
$1025
Puts · 8-21 days · OTM puts cluster with 1 contracts traded, $408 estimated gross traded notional, and 28% of visible notional.
$408

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.

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

Sharemaestro weekly
Close850.16
1W+9.1%
RS7.5
Fair value+41.5%
Options pressure-89
Speculation8
Volatility65
Trend fit21

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 10.5% history building
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions -
IV 0.36 history building
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions -
Put-call - history building
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 0.00 history building
30d avg - · 3/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 3/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 3/60 sessions -

Pressure Trail

Recent pressure and volatility

Open trail
29 Jul 10:33 Bullish
Pressure 100
Move 7.0%
30 Jul 10:31 Mixed
Pressure -9
Move 7.1%
31 Jul 10:21 Mixed
Pressure 11
Move 12.6%
1 Aug 04:31 Bearish
Pressure -89
Move 10.5%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike570.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike575.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike580.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike585.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike590.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike595.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike600.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike605.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts156
Avg IV0.36
Put-call-
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts230
Avg IV0.31
Put-call-
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts230
Avg IV0.32
Put-call-
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Contracts146
Avg IV0.32
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.26
Put IV0.35
Skew0.09
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.25
Put IV0.32
Skew0.07
18 Dec 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.27
Put IV0.33
Skew0.06
19 Mar 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.27
Put IV0.33
Skew0.06

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractNEU260821P00745000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike745.00
Volume1
OI1
IV0.44
ContractNEU260918P00775000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike775.00
Volume1
OI-
IV0.32
ContractNEU261218C00580000
SideCall
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike580.00
Volume-
OI485
IV0.41
ContractNEU261218C00560000
SideCall
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike560.00
Volume-
OI485
IV0.43
ContractNEU261218C00980000
SideCall
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike980.00
Volume-
OI63
IV0.27
ContractNEU270319C01000000
SideCall
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Strike1000.00
Volume-
OI50
IV0.28
ContractNEU261218C00915000
SideCall
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Strike915.00
Volume-
OI23
IV0.29
ContractNEU260918C00940000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike940.00
Volume-
OI22
IV0.25