Primary read
Bearish
Put-side pressure
Ticker Options Intelligence
DRI options intelligence
Darden Restaurants Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
42
Market data through 31 Jul 2026
Checked 1 Aug 2026 04:42 · complete available chain
Put-side pressure
Bearish pressure
DRI currently carries bearish options pressure with a 42/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 7.0%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.09.
Expected move
7.0%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.09
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
1.82
Put-side skew
Trend fit
90
Options agree with trend context
Weekly backdrop
+3.7%
RS -4.5
Expected move
7.0%
Put-call volume
1.82
Volume / OI
0.09
Reference IV
0.31
Max pain
200.00
Underlying
196.31
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
526
Research Brief
DRI has a bearish chain read with 42/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 182.56–210.06; The largest call open-interest concentration is 220.00; the largest put concentration is 185.00. The most active strike by current volume is 185.00.
Priced range182.56–210.06
Call concentration220.00
Put concentration185.00
Max pain reference200.00
- Price remains weak while put-side concentration persists.
- The current chain read already agrees with the stored weekly trend context.
- Price recovers while put pressure fades or reverses toward calls.
Priced Move
Where the chain says movement becomes exceptional
Options imply 182.56 to 210.06. Max pain at 200.00 sits inside that range, 1.9% above spot.
Spot
Max pain
182.56196.31 ± 13.75210.06
Confirmation level
A close beyond 210.06 or below 182.56 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 42/100
Pressure is 28/100 toward puts; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure28 × 42%
+11.6
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation10 × 22%
+2.2
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement90 × 26%
+23.5
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility50 × 10%
+5.0
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 220.00; the largest put concentration is 185.00. The most active strike by current volume is 185.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
5
135.00-31.2%
0
12
150.00-23.6%
0
21
155.00-21.0%
0
37
160.00-18.5%
1
526
165.00-15.9%
0
523
170.00-13.4%
1
279
175.00-10.9%
13
56
180.00-8.3%
1
1390
185.00-5.8%
3
95
190.00-3.2%
6
141
195.00-0.7%
6
220
200.001.9%
275
18
210.007.0%
326
39
220.0012.1%
793
0
230.0017.2%
278
0
240.0022.3%
243
0
250.0027.3%
18
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry
Volatility Curve
Balanced volatility curve
Near- and longer-dated implied volatility are broadly aligned; no exceptional front-expiry premium is visible.
0.31
21 Aug
21d
0.29
18 Sep
49d
0.32
16 Oct
77d
0.31
18 Dec
140d
0.31
15 Jan
168d
0.31
19 Mar
231d
0.31
17 Jun
321d
0.31
21 Jan
539d
Volatility by Strike
Downside protection premium
Out-of-the-money puts carry higher implied volatility than comparable calls, indicating richer downside protection.
160
165
170
175
180
185
190
195
200
210
220
230
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
- 526 / 526
- 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
Put-side activity dominates. This can reflect hedging or directional positioning, but the chain alone cannot distinguish buying from selling.
Put-side pressure is building while price is rising, a cautionary divergence.
Put-heavy activity matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $408397 of estimated gross traded notional, calls · 46-90 days · otm, 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-28
1W price+3.7%
Call premium68%
Put premium32%
Notional split
C 68% / P 32%
Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness
0.09
Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit
90/100
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 · 46-90 days · OTM
calls cluster with 381 contracts traded, $223050 estimated gross traded notional, and 55% of visible notional.
$223050
Puts · 46-90 days · ITM
puts cluster with 41 contracts traded, $59075 estimated gross traded notional, and 14% of visible notional.
$59075
Puts · 8-21 days · OTM
puts cluster with 784 contracts traded, $50754 estimated gross traded notional, and 12% of visible notional.
$50754
Calls · 8-21 days · OTM
calls cluster with 83 contracts traded, $20325 estimated gross traded notional, and 5% of visible notional.
$20325
Calls · 91+ days · OTM
calls cluster with 13 contracts traded, $13170 estimated gross traded notional, and 3% of visible notional.
$13170
Setup Classification
Opportunity and risk frame
Positioning agrees with the Sharemaestro trend backdrop.
Expected move or upcoming earnings makes the setup more event-sensitive.
Underlying price is close to the max-pain zone.
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
Close203.58
1W+3.7%
RS-4.5
Fair value+17.8%
Options pressure-28
Speculation10
Volatility50
Trend fit90
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 10:16
Bearish
Pressure -66
Move 8.6%
30 Jul 10:12
Bearish
Pressure -55
Move 9.9%
31 Jul 10:05
Mixed
Pressure 15
Move 7.9%
1 Aug 03:42
Bearish
Pressure -28
Move 7.0%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike135.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 5
Strike140.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike145.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike150.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 12
Strike155.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 21
Strike160.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 37
Strike165.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 1 · OI 526
Strike170.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 523
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts50
Avg IV0.31
Put-call9.18
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts70
Avg IV0.29
Put-call0.08
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Contracts62
Avg IV0.32
Put-call4.78
Expiry18 Dec 2026
Contracts70
Avg IV0.31
Put-call-
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Contracts76
Avg IV0.31
Put-call0.43
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.27
Put IV0.30
Skew0.03
18 Sep 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.28
Put IV0.28
Skew-
16 Oct 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.29
Put IV0.32
Skew0.03
18 Dec 2026Balanced skew
Call IV0.29
Put IV0.32
Skew0.03
15 Jan 2027Balanced skew
Call IV0.29
Put IV0.33
Skew0.04
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractDRI260821P00185000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike185.00
Volume775
OI1390
IV0.31
ContractDRI260918C00210000
SideCall
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike210.00
Volume370
OI474
IV0.28
ContractDRI260821C00210000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike210.00
Volume67
OI326
IV0.27
ContractDRI261016P00210000
SidePut
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike210.00
Volume40
OI56
IV0.31
ContractDRI260821C00220000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike220.00
Volume12
OI793
IV0.28
ContractDRI260918P00190000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike190.00
Volume11
OI327
IV0.28
ContractDRI260821P00195000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike195.00
Volume8
OI141
IV0.30
ContractDRI260918P00165000
SidePut
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Strike165.00
Volume7
OI109
IV0.34
Research Graph
Related research and context
Sharemaestro research
Related News
No recent ticker-specific news yet.
Market Watch
Earnings
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.