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DIS

Walt Disney Company (The)Close $104.08EOD only

Max Pain

$104.00

Next expiry May 22, 2026

Expected Move

±$1.91

1.8% from close

Price Gap

-0.08

Distance to max pain

IV Rank

Low premium

P/C OI

0.78

Slightly call-heavy

Consensus

4/4

Partial coverage

Published snapshot: May 20, 2026 close

End-of-day snapshot

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

Published Snapshot

May 20, 2026 close

DIS Directional Report

Analysis based on market close March 31, 2026

Directional Theta Gang Flow Earnings Consensus

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

Outlook

Neutral-to-bullish with a multi-week upward drift toward $100-$105. Confidence: 8/10. Spot is pinned between near-term max pain levels, but the rising MP trend, positive DEX, and structural call flow signal a slow grind higher. The primary conflict is the negative GEX, which can amplify moves.

Confidence:

8 / 10

Base 8; strong alignment of rising max pain trend, positive DEX, and structural call flow. Negative GEX is a risk but fits the trending thesis.

Supports: Rising max pain trend ($97→$100→$105), DEX +15.4M shares (dealer long), structural call OI at $110+.
Conflicts: GEX -$30.2M (trend-amplifying), P/C Volume 1.18 (slight put skew near-term).

📈Max pain ladder rises to $105 by May

⚖️GEX negative, DEX positive — dealers are net long delta but will hedge by selling rallies

Regime Classification

Vol Regime

Normal

IV 35.8% — Normal regime. Premium is elevated but not extreme, offering edge to both buyers and sellers depending on structure.

Gamma Regime

Trending

GEX -$30.2M — Trending regime. Dealers are net short gamma, which will amplify directional moves, reducing pinning pressure.

Flow Regime

Mixed

Flow: Mixed — Net premium -$7.4M is slightly bearish, but P/C OI 0.89 and structural call OI walls suggest longer-term bullish positioning.

Spot vs Max Pain

Spot at MP — Currently at $96.38, sandwiched between the $96 and $98 near-term max pain pins, indicating immediate equilibrium.

Thesis duration: Multi-week — Max pain shows a clear, sustained upward ladder from $97 to $105 across the April-May expirations. GEX sign is consistently negative, and call OI walls are structural. This supports a drift thesis over several weeks, not just a single expiry pin.

Price Range Forecast

Next 2 days

$94.83$97.92

Caught between 4/2 ($96) and 4/10 ($98) max pain. Break above $97.92 targets $99.

Next 1 week

$93.02$99.74

Upward drift supported by rising MP; failure below $95 (gamma flip) invalidates.

Next 2 weeks

$91.87$100.88

MP at $100 for 4/17 expiry acts as a magnet; $95 remains key support.

Key Levels

Max pain pins: $97 (2026-03-27); $96 (2026-04-02); $98 (2026-04-10)

EM guardrails: 2d $94.83/$97.92; 1w $93.02/$99.74

Support: $95.00 · $95.00 · $90.00

Resistance: $110.00 · $130.00 · $115.00

Gamma flip: ~$95.00 — Approx — based on put OI concentration of 14,014

Structural: **Call OI walls at $110, $115, $130, $150** define major resistance zones for any sustained rally. **Put floor at $80-$90** provides long-term support.

Dealer Positioning (GEX/DEX)

GEX: $-30.2M

DEX: +15.4M shares

Gamma flip: ~$95 (Approx — based on put OI concentration of 14,014)

NTM gamma: Gamma flip at ~$95 is critical. Below $95, dealers are short puts and will hedge by selling spot, accelerating declines. Above $95, negative GEX means dealers sell into rallies but with less acceleration.

IV Analysis

IV vs VIX: IV 35.8% — Elevated but within a 'Normal' vol regime. Implies selling premium has an edge if directionally confident.

Term structure: **Humped with a major kink at 5/08 (38 DTE, IV 39.5%)** due to earnings est. 5/06. Steep drop-off after (45 DTE at 35.7%). Creates a calendar spread opportunity.

Skew: **Sell May (high IV) / Buy June (lower IV) Calendar.** The ~6.5 vol-point differential around earnings is ripe for selling event vol and buying back into lower post-earnings term structure.

Flow Analysis

Net premium: Net Prem -$7.4M (slight bearish tilt); P/C Vol 1.18, P/C OI 0.89.

Directional prints: 1) **$115 Put** saw $6.9M premium (likely sold, bullish). 2) **$95 Put** $1.8M premium (mix, could be protective puts sold or bought). 3) **$88 Put 4/10** unusual vol (347 vs OI 140) at 38.5% IV — could be a cheap tail hedge bought or premium sold.

Unusual: $88 Put 4/10 activity (Vol 347 vs OI 140) at high IV — standout for size relative to OI.

Risks & Catalysts

!**Gamma flip at $95** — Break below triggers dealer sell-hedging, accelerating downtrend.

!**Earnings Volatility (5/06)** — High IV in May creates event risk for short premium positions.

!**Negative GEX** — Reduces pinning, increases odds of trending moves beyond expected range.

!**Macro/Sector Weakness** — Could overwhelm the stock-specific bullish drift thesis.

Strategy Viability

Strategy	Edge	Best Setup	Primary Risk
Long Stock	Moderate-Strong	Buy shares at $96.38. Use a stop below $95 (below gamma flip).	Gamma flip break and broad market sell-off.
Short Stock	Weak	Not favored. Thesis is bullish drift; shorting fights max pain gravity and positive DEX.	Squeeze toward $100-$105.
Covered Call	Moderate-Strong	Own stock, sell 4/17 $100 Call (~$1.00 est).	Capped upside if rally accelerates past $101.
Cash-Secured Put / Put Spread	Moderate-Strong	Sell 4/17 $95 Put (~$2.20 est) or $95/$90 Put Spread.	Break below $95 gamma flip.
Long Calls	Moderate	Buy 4/17 $97 Call (just above spot) or 6/18 $105 Call for drift.	Time decay and vol crush if drift stalls.
Long Puts / Bear Put Spread	Moderate-Weak	Only as a hedge. Consider 4/17 $95/$90 put spread.	Fighting bullish drift; low probability.
Iron Condor	Moderate-Weak	GEX negative, so range-bound strategies have reduced edge. If attempted: 4/17 $93/$90P x $101/$104C.	Negative GEX increases break-out risk.
Calendar/Diagonal	Moderate	Reverse Calendar: Sell 5/08 $97 Call (IV 39.5%), Buy 6/18 $100 Call (IV 33.0%). Bet on post-earnings vol crush and drift.	Earnings move exceeds short strike.
PMCC / LEAPS Diagonal	Moderate-Strong	Buy 1/15/2027 $90 Call (~$11.50 est), sell 4/17 $100 Call against it. Leverages structural bullishness with income.	Capital intensive; slow grind may underperform.

Top Plays

Reverse Calendar Spread (Earnings Vol)

Sell 5/08 $97 Call, Buy 6/18 $100 Call.

Capitalizes on the ~6.5 vol-point differential between high earnings IV (May) and lower structural IV (June). Profits from vol crush and a slow drift upward post-earnings.

Debit: $1.10-$1.40

Max loss: Debit Paid

BE: Complex; optimal if spot is between strikes at May expiry with vol crush.

Mgmt: Close after earnings if vol crushes. Manage short leg if spot rallies past $102 before May expiry.

Traders wanting defined risk exposure to elevated event vol, betting on a contained earnings move and continued bullish drift.

Cash-Secured Put (45 DTE)

Sell 5/15 $95 Put for ~$3.50 credit.

Collects elevated premium at a key support level (gamma flip, put OI wall) while aligning with the multi-week bullish drift thesis. The 45 DTE provides time for the thesis to play out and avoids the immediate earnings event.

Credit: $3.20-$3.80

Max loss: Assignment at $95, less credit.

BE: $91.50

Mgmt: Roll down/out if spot approaches $94. Close at 70% max profit. Exit on a weekly close below $93.

Income-focused traders bullish on DIS, comfortable owning shares at $95.

Bull Call Spread (Multi-Week Drift)

Buy 4/17 $96 Call, Sell 4/17 $101 Call for ~$1.80 debit.

Defined-risk play on the upward drift to the $100-$101 area (targeting 4/17 max pain and weekly resistance). Benefits from negative GEX amplifying upward moves. Better than a long call due to lower cost and defined risk.

Debit: $1.70-$1.90

Max loss: Debit Paid

BE: $97.80

Mgmt: Take profit at 50-80% of max value ($5 wide). Exit if spot loses $95.

Directional traders with moderate conviction, seeking to express the 2-3 week bullish drift with capped risk.

Watchlist Triggers

Entry Triggers

IFSpot holds above $97.50 for 2 hours → Enter Bull Call Spread (4/17 $98/$103) to play acceleration.

IFSpot dips to $95.00-95.50 and holds → Sell 4/17 $95 Put for premium collection at key support.

Exit Triggers

EXITSpot closes below $94.80 (below 2d EM support) → Exit all bullish positions (invalidates drift thesis).

EXITVIX spikes >40 alongside market sell-off → Close all short premium positions (CSPs, calendars) due to tail risk.

Tactical Summary

Primary thesis: multi-week bullish drift toward $100-$105, guided by rising max pain and positive DEX, but with negative GEX amplifying moves. Invalidation is a close below $95 (gamma flip). The regime favors directional bullish strategies and selling elevated vol into earnings. Top Plays: 1) Reverse Calendar for vol traders, 2) 45 DTE CSP for income, 3) Bull Call Spread for directional leverage. Choose based on your vol view and risk tolerance.

How to Use These Reports

This directional 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.