Ticker Options Intelligence

ALB options intelligence

Albemarle Corp options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 33 Market data through 30 Jul 2026 Checked 31 Jul 2026 11:06 · complete available chain

Options-market disagreement

Mixed pressure

ALB currently carries mixed options pressure with a 33/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 3.6%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.02.

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

Options-market disagreement

Expected move 3.6%

Near-term move context

Activity / OI 0.02

Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest

Put-call 0.78

Balanced tape

Trend fit 48

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop -4.9%

RS -21.8

Expected move 3.6%
Put-call volume 0.78
Volume / OI 0.02
Reference IV 0.82
Max pain 118.00
Underlying 114.85
Nearest expiry 31 Jul 2026
Contracts 1810

Research Brief

ALB has a mixed chain read with 33/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 110.71–118.99; The largest call open-interest concentration is 136.00; the largest put concentration is 105.00. The most active strike by current volume is 135.00.

Priced range110.71–118.99
Call concentration136.00
Put concentration105.00
Max pain reference118.00
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 31 Jul

Options imply 110.71 to 118.99. Max pain at 118.00 sits inside that range, 2.7% above spot.

Spot Max pain
110.71114.85 ± 4.14118.99
Confirmation level

A close beyond 118.99 or below 110.71 at the 31 Jul 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 33/100

Evidence alignment, not probability

Pressure is 12/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.

Directional pressure12 × 42%
+5.0

How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.

Participation41 × 22%
+8.9

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

Trend agreement48 × 26%
+12.4

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

Volatility70 × 10%
+7.0

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score33.4Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 136.00; the largest put concentration is 105.00. The most active strike by current volume is 135.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
232
100.00-12.9%
12
338
105.00-8.6%
1
31
113.00-1.6%
73
162
115.000.1%
82
94
116.001.0%
66
44
118.002.7%
401
154
120.004.5%
203
10
124.008.0%
343
43
125.008.8%
247
117
130.0013.2%
269
3
131.0014.1%
191
0
132.0014.9%
111
63
135.0017.5%
82
0
136.0018.4%
1032
32
140.0021.9%
244
0
145.0026.3%
145
0
155.0035.0%
209
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Volatility Curve

Front-loaded volatility

1.43× front/back

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

0.82 31 Jul 1d
0.74 7 Aug 8d
0.66 14 Aug 15d
0.62 21 Aug 22d
0.60 28 Aug 29d
0.58 4 Sep 36d
0.58 11 Sep 43d
0.58 18 Sep 50d

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.

93
95
97
100
102
104
106
108
111
113
115
117
119
122
124
126
128
130
133
135
137
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 31 Jul 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

Usable with limits

C69/100
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
Chain status
Complete available chain
Market date
30 Jul 2026
Calculation
v2.0
Contracts
1810 / 1810
  • 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

Earnings/event positioning

82/100
Primary intent Earnings/event positioning

Options activity is concentrated around a live event window, so the cleanest read is event positioning rather than pure direction.

Flow vs price divergence No clean flow/price divergence

The options read is mixed, so divergence is not strong enough to classify.

Why this matters

Earnings/event positioning matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $4.3M of estimated gross traded notional, puts · 0-7 days · itm, and a no clean flow/price divergence backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.

Options pressure+12
1W price-4.9%
Call premium35%
Put premium65%
Notional split C 35% / P 65% 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 48/100 Agreement between options pressure and Sharemaestro market context.
Event window 5 Aug Matched earnings event is 4 days away.
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 · 0-7 days · ITM
Puts · 0-7 days · ITM puts cluster with 595 contracts traded, $1.1M estimated gross traded notional, and 25% of visible notional.
$1.1M
Puts · 8-21 days · ITM puts cluster with 113 contracts traded, $483920 estimated gross traded notional, and 11% of visible notional.
$483920
Calls · 91+ days · OTM calls cluster with 457 contracts traded, $435585 estimated gross traded notional, and 10% of visible notional.
$435585
Puts · 91+ days · OTM puts cluster with 319 contracts traded, $396176 estimated gross traded notional, and 9% of visible notional.
$396176
Calls · 0-7 days · ITM calls cluster with 180 contracts traded, $377245 estimated gross traded notional, and 9% of visible notional.
$377245

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.

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
Close114.85
1W-4.9%
RS-21.8
Fair value+0.1%
Options pressure12
Speculation41
Volatility70
Trend fit48

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 3.6% history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -
IV 0.82 history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -
Put-call 0.78 history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 0.02 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 10:19 Bullish
Pressure 53
Move 4.8%
30 Jul 10:13 Bullish
Pressure 20
Move 4.4%
31 Jul 10:06 Mixed
Pressure 12
Move 3.6%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike75.00
Calls · V 2 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 2
Strike80.00
Calls · V 6 · OI 0
Puts · V 1 · OI 11
Strike85.00
Calls · V 4 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike90.00
Calls · V 5 · OI 5
Puts · V 0 · OI 24
Strike93.00
Calls · V 33 · OI 48
Puts · V 0 · OI 3
Strike94.00
Calls · V 33 · OI 50
Puts · V 4 · OI 26
Strike95.00
Calls · V 1 · OI 2
Puts · V 0 · OI 3
Strike96.00
Calls · V 1 · OI 20
Puts · V 0 · OI 1

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry31 Jul 2026
Contracts162
Avg IV0.82
Put-call1.45
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Contracts158
Avg IV0.74
Put-call0.36
Expiry14 Aug 2026
Contracts162
Avg IV0.66
Put-call0.10
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts122
Avg IV0.62
Put-call0.41
Expiry28 Aug 2026
Contracts120
Avg IV0.60
Put-call0.44

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
31 Jul 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.72
Put IV1.37
Skew0.65
7 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.73
Put IV0.74
Skew0.01
14 Aug 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.75
Put IV0.64
Skew-0.11
21 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.63
Put IV0.65
Skew0.02
28 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.60
Put IV0.56
Skew-0.04

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractALB270115C00140000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike140.00
Volume320
OI413
IV0.55
ContractALB280121P00085000
SidePut
Expiry21 Jan 2028
Strike85.00
Volume300
OI106
IV0.58
ContractALB260731P00135000
SidePut
Expiry31 Jul 2026
Strike135.00
Volume226
OI63
IV1.11
ContractALB260821C00120000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike120.00
Volume192
OI474
IV0.64
ContractALB260731P00130000
SidePut
Expiry31 Jul 2026
Strike130.00
Volume134
OI117
IV0.01
ContractALB260821C00110000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike110.00
Volume132
OI183
IV0.60
ContractALB260807C00137000
SideCall
Expiry7 Aug 2026
Strike137.00
Volume126
OI115
IV0.74
ContractALB260821C00135000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike135.00
Volume117
OI455
IV0.61