Ticker Options Intelligence

MKC options intelligence

McCormick & Company Incorporated options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 31 Market data through 30 Jul 2026 Checked 31 Jul 2026 11:10 · complete available chain

Call-side pressure

Bullish pressure

MKC currently carries bullish options pressure with a 31/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 7.2%, 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 Bullish

Call-side pressure

Expected move 7.2%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 0.02

Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest

Put-call 0.42

Call-side skew

Trend fit 20

Options are not fully confirming trend

Weekly backdrop -3.4%

RS -23.8

Expected move 7.2%
Put-call volume 0.42
Volume / OI 0.02
Reference IV 0.28
Max pain 50.00
Underlying 49.96
Nearest expiry 21 Aug 2026
Contracts 180

Research Brief

MKC has a bullish chain read with 31/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 46.38–53.54; The largest call open-interest concentration is 50.00; the largest put concentration is 45.00. The most active strike by current volume is 55.00.

Priced range46.38–53.54
Call concentration50.00
Put concentration45.00
Max pain reference50.00
What would confirm it
  • Price holds or improves while call-side concentration remains elevated.
What would weaken it
  • Price weakens while call pressure fades or reverses toward puts.
  • Options and the weekly trend are not yet giving the same message.

Priced Move

Where the chain says movement becomes exceptional

Size, not direction · through 21 Aug

Options imply 46.38 to 53.54. Max pain at 50.00 sits inside that range, 0.1% above spot.

Spot Max pain
46.3849.96 ± 3.5853.54
Confirmation level

A close beyond 53.54 or below 46.38 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 31/100

Evidence alignment, not probability

Pressure is 47/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.

Directional pressure47 × 42%
+19.6

How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.

Participation4 × 22%
+0.9

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

Trend agreement20 × 26%
+5.2

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

Volatility48 × 10%
+4.8

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score30.5Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 50.00; the largest put concentration is 45.00. The most active strike by current volume is 55.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
25.00-50.0%
0
0
30.00-40.0%
3
45
35.00-29.9%
0
152
40.00-19.9%
0
1602
45.00-9.9%
30
972
50.000.1%
2462
94
55.0010.1%
2008
2
60.0020.1%
949
0
65.0030.1%
40
0
70.0040.1%
5
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Volatility Curve

Back-loaded volatility

0.78× front/back

Longer-dated options carry more implied volatility than the front expiry, so risk is priced farther out.

0.28 21 Aug 22d
0.32 18 Sep 50d
0.36 18 Dec 141d
0.36 15 Jan 169d
0.37 19 Mar 232d
0.36 17 Jun 322d

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.

40
45
50
55
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

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
180 / 180
  • 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

Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate

68/100
Primary intent Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate

Activity is spread across expirations with heavier open interest than current volume, which can be consistent with position maintenance.

Flow vs price divergence Bullish flow against weak price

Options are leaning call-side while the stock is down on the week, a divergence that needs price confirmation.

Why this matters

Multi-expiry position-maintenance candidate matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $143088 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 46-90 days · atm, and a bullish flow against weak 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-3.4%
Call premium83%
Put premium17%
Notional split C 83% / P 17% 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 20/100 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. Roll detection is conservative because opening and closing legs are not directly observable in this snapshot.
Conviction clusters Calls · 46-90 days · ATM
Calls · 46-90 days · ATM calls cluster with 126 contracts traded, $41580 estimated gross traded notional, and 29% of visible notional.
$41580
Calls · 91+ days · OTM calls cluster with 93 contracts traded, $32855 estimated gross traded notional, and 23% of visible notional.
$32855
Calls · 8-21 days · OTM calls cluster with 406 contracts traded, $18884 estimated gross traded notional, and 13% of visible notional.
$18884
Calls · 91+ days · ITM calls cluster with 7 contracts traded, $9380 estimated gross traded notional, and 7% of visible notional.
$9380
Calls · 8-21 days · ATM calls cluster with 40 contracts traded, $9100 estimated gross traded notional, and 6% of visible notional.
$9100

Setup Classification

Opportunity and risk frame

Context, not advice
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.

Warning Crowded strike risk

Underlying price is close to the max-pain zone.

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
Close49.96
1W-3.4%
RS-23.8
Fair value-25.8%
Options pressure47
Speculation4
Volatility48
Trend fit20

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 7.2% history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -
IV 0.28 history building
30d avg - · 2/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 2/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 2/60 sessions -
Put-call 0.42 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 10:24 Bullish
Pressure 42
Move 7.7%
30 Jul 10:20 Mixed
Pressure 13
Move 8.4%
31 Jul 10:10 Bullish
Pressure 47
Move 7.2%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike25.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike30.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 3
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike35.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 45
Strike40.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 152
Strike45.00
Calls · V 1 · OI 30
Puts · V 114 · OI 1602
Strike50.00
Calls · V 40 · OI 2462
Puts · V 32 · OI 972
Strike55.00
Calls · V 395 · OI 2008
Puts · V 2 · OI 94
Strike60.00
Calls · V 11 · OI 949
Puts · V 0 · OI 2

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts20
Avg IV0.28
Put-call0.33
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts32
Avg IV0.32
Put-call0.79
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts30
Avg IV0.36
Put-call0.56
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Contracts40
Avg IV0.36
Put-call-
Expiry19 Mar 2027
Contracts34
Avg IV0.37
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
21 Aug 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.35
Put IV0.41
Skew0.06
18 Sep 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.34
Put IV0.38
Skew0.04
18 Dec 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.34
Put IV0.39
Skew0.05
15 Jan 2027Balanced skew
Call IV0.36
Put IV0.40
Skew0.04
19 Mar 2027Put IV premium
Call IV0.34
Put IV0.45
Skew0.12

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractMKC260821C00055000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike55.00
Volume395
OI2008
IV0.35
ContractMKC260918C00050000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike50.00
Volume126
OI4138
IV0.36
ContractMKC260918P00045000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike45.00
Volume125
OI2726
IV0.38
ContractMKC260821P00045000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike45.00
Volume114
OI1602
IV0.41
ContractMKC270115C00055000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike55.00
Volume66
OI309
IV0.36
ContractMKC260918C00055000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike55.00
Volume43
OI6691
IV0.34
ContractMKC260821C00050000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike50.00
Volume40
OI2462
IV0.35
ContractMKC260821P00050000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike50.00
Volume32
OI972
IV0.37