Ticker Options Intelligence

CTRN options intelligence

Citi Trends Inc options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.

Conviction 37 Market data through 29 Jul 2026 Checked 30 Jul 2026 05:26 · complete available chain

Options-market disagreement

Mixed pressure

CTRN currently carries mixed options pressure with a 37/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 12.7%, 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 Mixed

Options-market disagreement

Expected move 12.7%

Wider near-term move priced

Activity / OI 0.00

Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest

Put-call -

Balanced tape

Trend fit 94

Options agree with trend context

Weekly backdrop -2.0%

RS 33.7

Expected move 12.7%
Put-call volume -
Volume / OI -
Reference IV 0.52
Max pain 22.50
Underlying 62.92
Nearest expiry 21 Aug 2026
Contracts 18

Research Brief

CTRN has a mixed chain read with 37/100 evidence alignment.

The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 54.95–70.89; The largest call open-interest concentration is 55.00; the largest put concentration is 45.00. The most active strike by current volume is 22.50.

Priced range54.95–70.89
Call concentration55.00
Put concentration45.00
Max pain reference22.50
What would confirm it
  • A clear directional pressure reading develops and price begins to agree.
  • The current chain read already agrees with the stored weekly trend context.
What would weaken it
  • Volatility falls and the chain remains directionally mixed.
  • 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 54.95 to 70.89. Max pain at 22.50 lies outside the priced range, so it is a weak near-term anchor.

Spot Max pain
54.9562.92 ± 7.9770.89
Confirmation level

A close beyond 70.89 or below 54.95 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 37/100

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.

Participation0 × 22%
+0.0

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

Trend agreement94 × 26%
+24.4

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

Volatility76 × 10%
+7.6

The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.

Reconstructed score37.0Matches stored calculation

Positioning by Strike

Where open interest and current activity concentrate

Full strike map

The largest call open-interest concentration is 55.00; the largest put concentration is 45.00. The most active strike by current volume is 22.50. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.

Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
22.50-64.2%
1
0
25.00-60.3%
1
0
30.00-52.3%
2
0
35.00-44.4%
184
0
40.00-36.4%
2
1
45.00-28.5%
11
0
50.00-20.5%
0
0
55.00-12.6%
190
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry

Volatility Curve

Front-loaded volatility

2.86× front/back

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

0.52 21 Aug 22d
0.18 20 Nov 113d

Volatility by Strike

Smile incomplete

Nearest expiry, within 20% of spot

There is not enough comparable OTM call and put volatility to classify the smile.

55
Put IV Call IV

Historical Replay

How matured reads behaved through expiry

0 directional observations

No independently verifiable option-expiry outcomes have matured yet. Legacy snapshots without a point-in-time market reference and repeated same-session snapshots are deliberately excluded.

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
29 Jul 2026
Calculation
v1.x legacy
Contracts
18 / 18
  • 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

Likely noise

37/100
Primary intent Likely noise

Visible options activity is too thin or mixed to support a strong intent classification.

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

Likely noise matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $0 of estimated gross traded notional, no dominant cluster, 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-2.0%
Call premium0%
Put premium0%
Notional split C 0% / P 0% 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 94/100 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 No dominant cluster

No high-conviction option cluster is visible in this snapshot.

Setup Classification

Opportunity and risk frame

Context, not advice
Positive Options-confirmed trend

Positioning agrees with the Sharemaestro trend backdrop.

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

-

1 of 10 completed market sessions are available. More session history is needed before activity can be compared with a reliable normal.

Baseline: 1 completed session

Volume rank-
Volume/OI rank-
IV rank-

Market Context

Underlying confirmation

Sharemaestro weekly
Close62.92
1W-2.0%
RS33.7
Fair value+107.9%
Options pressure12
Speculation0
Volatility76
Trend fit94

Today Versus Normal

Stored-options context

View history
Expected move 12.7% history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
IV 0.52 history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
Put-call - history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -
Volume/OI 0.00 history building
30d avg - · 1/10 sessions -
90d avg - · 1/30 sessions -
180d avg - · 1/60 sessions -

Pressure Trail

Recent pressure and volatility

Open trail
29 Jul 11:29 Bullish
Pressure 100
Move 6.8%
30 Jul 04:26 Mixed
Pressure 12
Move 12.7%

Strike Map

Where activity is clustering

Full strike map
Strike22.50
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike25.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike30.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 2
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike35.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 184
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike40.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 2
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike45.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 11
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike50.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike55.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 190
Puts · V 0 · OI 0

Term Structure

Expiration activity

Volume and IV
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts16
Avg IV0.52
Put-call-
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Contracts2
Avg IV0.18
Put-call-

Skew

Call/put IV balance

OTM demand
21 Aug 2026Incomplete skew
Call IV-
Put IV0.31
Skew-
20 Nov 2026Incomplete skew
Call IV-
Put IV0.35
Skew-

Contract Tape

Most active contracts

Full contract tape
ContractCTRN260821C00055000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike55.00
Volume-
OI190
IV0.01
ContractCTRN260821C00035000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike35.00
Volume-
OI184
IV0.01
ContractCTRN260821C00045000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike45.00
Volume-
OI11
IV1.01
ContractCTRN260821C00040000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike40.00
Volume-
OI2
IV0.01
ContractCTRN260821C00030000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike30.00
Volume-
OI2
IV0.01
ContractCTRN260821C00022500
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike22.50
Volume-
OI1
IV1.51
ContractCTRN260821P00045000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike45.00
Volume-
OI1
IV0.59
ContractCTRN261120C00040000
SideCall
Expiry20 Nov 2026
Strike40.00
Volume-
OI1
IV0.01