thetaOwl

C

Citigroup, Inc.Close $124.82EOD only
Max Pain
$124.00
Next expiry May 22, 2026
Expected Move
±$2.47
2.0% from close
Price Gap
-0.82
Distance to max pain
IV Rank
8
Low premium
P/C OI
1.45
Slightly put-heavy
Consensus
4/4
Partial coverage
Published snapshot: May 20, 2026 close
End-of-day snapshot

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

Published Snapshot
May 20, 2026 close
C Earnings Report
Analysis based on market close March 31, 2026

Consensus-supported lens with chain history and key metrics in the rail.

Earnings Verdict

Earnings expected around 4/14. IV elevated at 45.9% for 4/24, suggesting crush play. Stock pinned near $110 max pain with strong gamma support.

Confidence:
6.5 / 10
base 5; +1 strong pinning; +0.5 clear earnings date inference; -0.5 limited historical data
Most important: IV term structure shows clear kink at 4/24 (45.9%) vs 38.6% at 4/10, confirming earnings between those dates.
📅Earnings inferred ~4/14 based on IV kink between 4/10 and 4/24 expirations
⚖️Strong gamma pinning at $110 with $43.8M GEX supports range-bound thesis
📊Limited historical move data - EM based purely on options pricing, not past behavior

Regime Classification

Vol Regime
Normal (IV 44%)
Gamma Regime
Pinning (GEX +$43.8M — mean-reverting)
Flow Regime
Mixed (net prem $28.0M, P/C 0.86)
Spot vs MP
Above max pain by 3.1% (spot $113.41 vs MP $110)
Gamma flip: ~$110.00Below $110, dealers amplify moves due to put OI concentration

Earnings Overview

Next earnings: 2026-04-14 (14 days)inferred from IV kink between 4/10 and 4/24

Expected moves:

  • 4/24 (24d): ±$10.20 (9.0%) [$103.21 - $123.61]

IV Setup

Term structure: Sharp kink at 4/24 (45.9% vs 38.6% at 4/10), elevated vs longer-dated ~37%

Crush estimate: ~8-10 vol pts, back to ~37% range

Skew: P/C OI ratio 1.10 shows slightly more put OI, but P/C volume 0.86 shows more call trading

Historical Context

Beat rate: 75% (3/4 quarters)

Avg move vs expected: Insufficient move data, but EPS surprises: +0.17, +0.28, +0.06, -0.23

Directional bias: Mixed EPS results, last quarter missed

Key Levels

1$110 gamma flip/max pain
2$115 call OI wall (18K)
3$120 call OI wall (26K)
4$100 put OI wall (18K)
5EM: $103-$124

Flow Highlights

Massive $75C premium flow ($10.2M net), likely far OTM speculation or structured trade

Not earnings-related, but shows institutional interest

$115C premium flow $2.1M net with high volume (3,809)

Active betting near current price for upside

Strategies

Short strangle (IV crush)
Sell $103P / sell $124C 4/24
Credit: $5.50-$6.50
Max loss: Unlimited
Max gain: $5.50
BE: $97.50 and $129.50
Trigger: Enter 5-7 days before earnings
Elevated IV at 45.9% provides premium to sell, gamma pinning at $110 supports range-bound behavior
Outperforms: Stock stays within EM bounds, IV crushes post-earnings
Underperforms: Gap exceeds EM by >15%
Put credit spread (bullish bias)
Sell $100P / Buy $95P 4/24
Credit: $1.20-$1.60
Max loss: $3.80
Max gain: $1.40
BE: $98.80
Trigger: Enter if stock holds above $110 gamma flip
Max pain at $110 provides support, heavy $100 put OI (18K) creates resistance to the downside
Outperforms: Stock stays above $100, earnings don't disappoint severely
Underperforms: Stock gaps below $95
Long straddle (directional breakout)
Buy $113 straddle 4/24
Max loss: $10.20
Max gain: Unlimited
BE: $102.80 and $123.20
Trigger: Enter 1-2 days before earnings if IV hasn't spiked >50%
Historical EPS surprises can be large (+0.28), potential for guidance-driven move beyond EM
Outperforms: Actual move exceeds EM (9.0%) by >30%
Underperforms: Stock pins near $113, IV crushes post-earnings
Iron condor (defined risk range)
Sell $105P/$100P x $121C/$126C 4/24
Credit: $1.80-$2.20
Max loss: $3.20
Max gain: $1.80
BE: $103.20 and $123.80
Trigger: Enter 3-5 days before earnings
Tighter range than EM provides higher probability, uses key OI levels at $100P and $125C as buffers
Outperforms: Stock stays between $105 and $121
Underperforms: Stock breaches either short strike

Risk Assessment

!Gap risk: 9.0% EM is substantial; last quarter missed EPS by -0.23, guidance risk present
!IV crush of ~8-10 vol points will significantly impact long premium strategies
!Liquidity: Good with 1.1M OI, but watch bid-ask spreads on lower-volume strikes
!Gamma pinning at $110 could limit post-earnings drift if earnings are neutral

What to Watch

?IV trajectory into earnings - if it spikes above 50%, reconsider short premium
?Spot vs $110 gamma flip - break below could trigger accelerated selling
?Unusual $113P 4/02 activity (519 vol vs 318 OI) - may indicate near-term put hedging
How to Use These Reports
This earnings reflects the market close on March 31, 2026.
What the reports do

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.

How traders use them

Reports are most useful for narrowing the playbook, surfacing entry and risk context, and deciding which raw data page to inspect next.

What to remember

These are interpretation layers, not execution guarantees. Validate the setup against chain liquidity, expected move, and exposure before sizing risk.

If the report conviction and the raw data disagree, slow down and resolve the mismatch before sizing risk.