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AMZN

Amazon.com, Inc.Close $266.32EOD only
Max Pain
$262.50
Next expiry May 26, 2026
Expected Move
±$4.14
1.6% from close
Price Gap
-3.82
Distance to max pain
IV Rank
16
Low premium
P/C OI
0.59
Slightly call-heavy
Consensus
8.0/10
Bullish tilt
Published snapshot: May 22, 2026 close
End-of-day snapshot

This page reflects AMZN options positioning from the latest published market-close snapshot. Intraday price and contract changes are not displayed.

Published Snapshot
May 22, 2026 close
AMZN Directional Report
Analysis based on market close April 9, 2026
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You are viewing an older report from April 9, 2026. A newer directional report is available for May 21, 2026.

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Outlook

Neutral-to-bullish with an upside lean toward the $235 pin and the EM ceiling at $236.68; Confidence: 7.0/10 (base). Primary supports: strong positive GEX (+$384.3M) concentrated at $235/$232.50 (pinning) and large bullish net premium flow (+$552.8M) concentrated in $225–$250 calls; conflict: spot is ~10% above longer-term max pain which limits conviction for sustained rally.

Confidence:
7 / 10
Base 7.0 from provided score; drivers: + large positive GEX pinning near-term, + sizable net premium call flow, - distance of spot from longer-term max pain (10%); no imminent macro/event missing from base.
Supports: GEX +$12.2M at $235 and +$6.1M at $232.50 (near-term dealer buyback); concentrated call buyer flow at $225/$230/$235/$240; positive DEX +149.3M shares.
Conflicts: Max pain cluster well below spot ($212–$215 across near expiries) and structural call-OI wall at $250–$300 limiting large upside; near-term ATM IV is below May expirations (term kink).
📌Pinning concentrated at $235 (+$12.2M GEX) and $232.50 (+$6.1M) — high probability of near-term mean reversion into that zone.
💨Net premium +$552.8M and P/C vol 0.45 — flow is decisively call-biased (inst buys), supporting upside magnet to EM ceiling $236.68.
⚖️IV term kink: very low near-term ATM IV (~30–35%) vs May ATM 45.8% — favors selling short-dated vol or doing calendar sales capturing term premium.

Regime Classification

Vol Regime
Normal
IV profile: near-term ATM IV 30.4%–35.3% (April expiries) vs avg IV 44.4% and a May-scale IV jump to 45.8% — volatility is 'Normal' but term structure has an explicit near-term cheap, medium-dated rich kink.
Gamma Regime
Pinning
Positive GEX (+$384.3M) concentrated around $235/$232.50 creates pinning behavior — dealers will hedge by buying dips and selling rallies around those strikes.
Flow Regime
Bullish
Flow is bullish: Net premium +$552.8M, heavy call premium at $225–$250; P/C vol 0.45 and P/C OI 0.59 indicate institutional call buying rather than put buying or hedging flow.
Spot vs Max Pain
Above
Spot $233.65 is above current max pain levels (near-term MP $212–$215) which presents structural resistance to a durable rally but supports short-term mean-reversion toward the nearby pin at $235.
Thesis duration: Multi-week — Pinning exists across the immediate expirations and MP trend is rising across expirations (MP $212 → $245 over the curve); near-term cheap IV and rich May IV create opportunities best expressed with 30–45 DTE, with weeklies for tactical overlays.

Price Range Forecast

Next 2 days
$230.61$236.68
Pinning at $232.50–$235 and EM $230.61/$236.68; break below $230.61 would negate short-term pinning.
Next 1 week
$230.57$236.72
Sustained move above $236.72 needs absorption of call OI (250–300 structural wall); a move < $230.57 flips dealers from passive buybacks to active selling.
Next 2 weeks
$226.92$240.37
A sustained push above $240.37 requires clearing the $250 call-OI wall; downside breach of $226.92 accelerates toward multi-week MP levels at $212–$215.

Key Levels

Max pain pins: $212 (2026-04-10); $215 (2026-04-13); $215 (2026-04-15)
EM guardrails: 2d $230.61/$236.68; 1w $230.57/$236.72
Support: $232.50 · $225.00 · $220.00
Resistance: $235.00 · $240.00 · $250.00
Structural: Structural call OI wall $250–$300 caps large upside; multi-expiry max pain band $210–$215 is the longer-term magnet for substantial mean reversion.

Dealer Positioning (GEX/DEX)

GEX: $+384.3M

DEX: +149.3M shares

Gamma flip: N/A

NTM gamma: Large near-the-money positive gamma concentrated at $235 (+$12.2M) and $232.50 (+$6.1M); dealers will buy delta on downside moves toward $232 and sell delta on rallies above $235 — a ~±2% move (≈ $228–$239) will materially increase dealer hedging flows and accelerate mean reversion.

IV Analysis

IV vs VIX: Avg IV 44.4% vs no VIX provided; short-dated ATM IV is materially lower (1d–11d: 30.4%–35.3%) while May ATM spikes to 45.8% — near-term vol is cheap relative to medium-dated calendar.

Term structure: Near-term (1–15d) IV ~30–35% then step-up to 45.8% at 22d (May 01) — clear event/term kink favoring calendar/diagonal selling of near-term and buying May.

Skew: Notable skew: calls are heavily bought in 225–250; mispriced opportunity: sell short-dated ATM/SLIGHT-OTM calls or sell front-week vs buy May calendar (sell 4/13 ATM IV ~29.1% / buy 5/15 ATM ~40.9% — ~+11–12 vol-pt differential).

Flow Analysis

Net premium: + $552.8M bullish; call-dominated (top call premium at $225/$230/$235).

Directional prints: 21 call 232.5 ITM 2026-04-10 — Heavy print: 55,033 vol vs OI 1,881 (29.3x) — could be dealer delta hedging (sell call buys) or aggressive buy-to-open; consistent with short-term pinning and dealer gamma trading, interpretation leans toward institutional call buys that reinforce upside pressure. 28.9 call 235 OTM 2026-04-13 — 7,971 vol vs OI 105 (75.9x) — fresh OI in the $235 pin; could be directional call buys or structured buys (calendar/vertical); given net premium and GEX, more consistent with outright call buys targeting the pin. 40.4 put 230 OTM 2026-04-10 — Large vol print 31,257 vs OI 109 (286.8x) on $230 put 4/10 — could be protective hedges or put selling via spreads; however overall flow is call-heavy, so the more-likely read is tactical hedging or synthetic structures.

Unusual: 40.4 put 230 OTM 2026-04-10 — Very large vol print (31,257) on $230 put exp 4/10; high IV (40.4%) indicates bought protection or quick spreads — watch for compression post-expiry.

Risks & Catalysts

!Gamma flip / dealer hedging shifts if spot drops below $230.61 (2d EM lower) — dealer selling could accelerate decline.
!Near-term expiries (4/10, 4/13) concentrate pin and create expiry-led squeeze or unwind risk.
!May IV spike (ATM 45.8% on 2026-05-01) creates re-pricing risk if catalyst arrives — calendars can be hurt if vol collapses into event.
!Structural max pain band $210–$215 sits well below spot; failure to hold the $226.92 2-week lower bound would open a fast pathdown to that MP band.

Strategy Viability

StrategyEdgeBest SetupPrimary Risk
Long stockModerate-Weak
Large drawdown if pin fails; positive dealer flow supports small directional exposure.
Short stockWeak
Against heavy call flow and positive GEX — high gamma-fueled short-squeeze risk.
Covered callModerate
Buy stock / sell 2026-05-15 245.0 call
Capped upside at $245 vs structural call wall; collects elevated May IV, risk if stock gaps above strike.
Cash-secured put (CSP)Moderate-Strong
Sell 2026-04-13 225.0 put or sell 2026-05-15 225.0 put
Pinning supports 225 as support but MP below introduces assignment risk to lower levels.
Put spread (bear-put hedge)Moderate-Weak
Buy 2026-05-15 215.0 put / sell 2026-05-15 205.0 put (protection)
Costs significant debit due to elevated May IV; used as tail insurance.
Long calls (directional)Moderate
Buy 2026-05-15 250.0 call
Expensive vs structural call-OI wall; needs >$250 before expiry to pay off.
Long puts / bear put spreadModerate-Weak
Buy 2026-05-15 215.0 put / sell 2026-05-15 205.0 put
May IV elevated but flow is call-dominant; directional downside is possible but less favored.
Iron condorModerate-Strong
Sell 2026-04-13 232.5/227.5 put spread x sell 232.5? No: structured as 4/13 sell 227.5 put / buy 225.0 put and sell 4/13 240.0 call / buy 245.0 call (defined wings)
Expiry pin/break could blow wings; near-term IV is relatively cheap so credit is limited.
Calendar / diagonal (sell near-buy May)Strong
Sell 2026-04-13 ATM (~232.5–235) / buy 2026-05-15 same strike (sell low IV near-term, buy rich May — ~+11–12 IV pts)
Requires spot to remain near sold strike; gamma into front expiry can create mark moves but vol term premium favors this trade.
PMCC / LEAPS diagonalModerate-Strong
Buy 2026-07-17 220.0 LEAP call, sell near-term 4/13 240.0 call for income (diagonal)
Time premium and positive DEX favor owning long-dated upside while collecting short-term calls; needs roll if rally accelerates.

Top Plays

#1
Near-term put spread (income)
Sell 2026-04-13 232.5 / buy 2026-04-13 227.5 put spread
Exploits pinning at $232.50–$235 with positive GEX and cheap front-week IV; collects immediate credit against a narrow expected move.
Credit: $0.40-$0.70
Max loss: 4.60
BE: $232.10
Mgmt: Take profit at 50–70% of max credit; cut if spot < $230.61 or VIX spikes > +6 pts.
Defined-risk income seekers comfortable with weeklies
#2
Calendar (vol-term capture)
Sell 2026-04-13 235.0 call / buy 2026-05-15 235.0 call (sell low IV, buy rich May)
Harvests ~11–12 vol-pt term premium while using the $235 pin as a sold strike; profitable if spot stays near $235 and May vol remains elevated.
Credit: $0.80-$1.50
Max loss: Theoretical (depends on ratio/legs)
BE: Requires management; close if May IV collapses > -8 vol pts
Mgmt: Close front leg into gamma rush (day before expiry) or roll the short leg out +1–2 weeks if range intact.
Traders seeking volatility arbitrage with defined margin requirements
#3
30–45 DTE diagonal / LEAP collar
Buy 2026-07-17 220.0 call, sell 2026-05-15 245.0 call (diagonal)
Long-term bullish exposure (captures DEX) while monetizing near-term rich calls; extra time buys through potential earnings re-pricing and increases R:R vs near-term call buying.
Debit: $1.20-$2.50
Max loss: Premium paid
BE: $222.20
Mgmt: Take profit if long leg doubles or if spot > $245; roll short call higher if rally continues.
Traders wanting directional upside with defined financed cost and lower theta decay than outright calls

Watchlist Triggers

Entry Triggers
IFIf spot holds $232.50 for 30 minutes → Sell 2026-04-13 232.5 / buy 2026-04-13 227.5 put spread
IFIf spot is between $233 and $236 and 4/13 ATM IV ≤ 31% → Sell 2026-04-13 235.0 call and buy 2026-05-15 235.0 call (calendar)
IFIf spot pulls back to $225.00 and GEX remains positive → Sell cash-secured 2026-05-15 225.0 put
Adjustment Triggers
ADJIf spot rallies > $240.00 (breaks 2-week EM upper bound $240.37) → Roll short calls up +5–10 strikes or close near-term short call legs (protect diagonal/condor wings)
ADJIf VIX/IV spike increases May ATM IV > +6 vol pts vs current 45.8% → Trim short front-week exposure and purchase 2026-05-15 215.0/205.0 put spread as tail hedge
Exit Triggers
EXITIf spot < $230.61 (2d EM lower) → Close all short premium (put spreads, calendars) immediately
EXITIf front-week position reaches 60% of max profit → Take profits and either re-establish wider or move to 30–45 DTE calendars

Tactical Summary

Primary thesis: multi-week bullish tilt into the $232.50–$235 pin driven by large positive GEX and heavy institutional call flow; invalidation: sustained break and close below $230.61 (2d EM lower) which flips dealer behavior and accelerates downside toward $210–$215 MP band. Regime favors selling short-dated vol (calendars/short put spreads) and one 30+ DTE diagonal for carry and optionality.
How to Use These Reports
This directional reflects the market close on April 9, 2026.
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Each report translates the same market-close options snapshot into a specific lens such as directional bias, premium-selling posture, flow quality, or earnings setup.

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