thetaOwl

GLD

SPDR Gold SharesClose $417.12EOD only
Max Pain
$410.00
Next expiry Jun 1, 2026
Expected Move
±$5.04
1.2% from close
Price Gap
-7.12
Distance to max pain
IV Rank
18
Low premium
P/C OI
0.56
Slightly call-heavy
Consensus
6.0/10
Range bias
Published snapshot: May 29, 2026 close
End-of-day snapshot

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

Published Snapshot
May 29, 2026 close
GLD Flow Report
Analysis based on market close April 14, 2026

Historical consensus-supported lens with full content, report chain context, and metric rail.

You are viewing an older report from April 14, 2026. A newer flow report is available for May 26, 2026.

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Flow Verdict

BiasBullish
Confirmation: Sustained net call premium inflows (P/C volume remaining <0.6) and spot holding above $445 with additional call volume at $450-$455
Invalidation: Net premium flips toward puts (net premium >$0 or P/C volume ratio >1.0) or spot breaks below the $440 GEX pin with rising put volume
Confidence:
6 / 10
base 5.5; +0.5 positive GEX pinning; -0.0 mixed flow (P/C vol low but some large long-dated put premium nets)

Watch next session: Follow call flow and OI changes at $440/$445/$455 (GEX pin cluster); Large 2026-05-15 $475 call block prints / open interest changes (structural position indicator)

Flow Summary

Net premium: -$68.5M (net call-dominant premium flow; overall bullish skew)

P/C volume ratio: 0.29 — heavy call-dominant volume today

P/C OI ratio: 0.60 — moderate call lean in OI (positioning not as extreme as volume)

Intraday and near-term activity is strongly call-biased: low P/C volume ratio, large concentrated call prints at near-spot strikes and sizable call premium at $475/$500/$440. Dealers are net long gamma (Total GEX +$294.7M), which supports pinning just below/around spot and reduces downside tail risk for dealers; that combination points to a short-term bullish tilt and price magneting toward nearby GEX pins ($440, $445, $455).

Notable Prints

#1
GLD 2026-04-24 $440 Call
Vol: 11,204
OI: 676
Vol/OI: 16.6x
IV: 28.6%
Notional: ~$12.55M
Intent: Directional call buying (near-term bullish exposure into April expiry)
Dual read: Could be buyers opening long calls (bullish) or sellers/overwriters closing/rolling — but high vol/OI and ITM status favor fresh buying

Read-through: Significant near-dated bullish risk transfer into the $440-445 pin band; reinforces dealer hedging that pins price near $440-$445.

#2
GLD 2026-04-24 $444 Call
Vol: 10,168
OI: 118
Vol/OI: 86.2x
IV: 27.4%
Notional: ~$9.05M
Intent: Aggressive directional call buying (ITM, concentrated, same-expiry cluster)
Dual read: Mostly fresh directional buying; could be part of a spread leg but vol/oi magnitude and ITM nature point to bullish exposure

Read-through: Confirms near-term bullish flow right at spot; increases likelihood of dealer pinning around $444-$445 as they hedge delta.

#3
GLD 2026-04-24 $442 Call
Vol: 10,357
OI: 719
Vol/OI: 14.4x
IV: 27.7%
Notional: ~$10.23M
Intent: Directional call buying / short-dated bullish exposure
Dual read: Primarily buys; could also be part of conversions or call spreads but pattern with $440/$444 suggests same-side buying

Read-through: Part of a concentrated near-term call buying cluster that should force dealer delta hedges and support price within the 2–3 day EM band.

#4
GLD 2026-05-15 $475 Call
Vol: 113,446
OI: 8,884
Vol/OI: 12.8x
IV: 28.4%
Notional: ~$55.03M
Intent: Large directional/structured call accumulation (long-dated bullish exposure or part of a call-heavy strategy)
Dual read: Could be institutional buyers opening a large bullish position (bull call or outright calls) or selling puts/carrying a spread — size implies institutional flow rather than retail noise

Read-through: Very large notional concentrated at $475 expiry 5/15; if sustained/confirmed it signals multi-week bullish positioning and may create a call-OI magnet above spot into mid-May.

#5
GLD 2026-05-22 $480 Call
Vol: 2,446
OI: 135
Vol/OI: 18.1x
IV: 28.5%
Notional: ~$1.20M
Intent: Directional call buying (medium-dated bullish exposure)
Dual read: Likely fresh buys given high vol/OI; could be part of diagonal or calendar

Read-through: Adds to the picture of buyers extending horizon beyond April expiries; supports the view of institutional call accumulation.

Institutional Positioning

Call additions: Concentrated fresh call flow at near-spot April expiries ($440-$445 ITM calls) plus large mid-May/$475 and late-May $480 call accumulation; OI clusters also heavy in $495-$595 call band longer dated.

Put additions: Top put OI remains concentrated far below spot ($335-$360 put floor; very large $360 PUT OI = 100,743) but current flow shows limited fresh near-term put buying — P/C volume ratio 0.29 and net premium -$68.5M indicate puts were not being added today.

GEX/DEX consistency: Yes — positive Total GEX +$294.7M and concentrated GEX pins at $440, $445, $455 align with call-dominant flow and a pinning regime.

OI clusters: Large put OI clusters at $360 (100,743) and $335 (39,480) create a long-term downside floor; call OI clusters at $520 (34,932), $545 (34,327), $495 (50,978) are sizable call walls that may cap upside structurally. Near-term OI concentration around $440 (11,519), $445 (11,409), $450 (14,214) creates immediate pin zones.

Hedging evidence: Dealer hedging consistent with positive gamma: near-term ITM call prints will force dealers to buy spot (support). There is no clear evidence of large protective put buys today; the big long-dated put OI is structural rather than newly-acquired protective hedges.

Max pain context: Max pain is ~ $433 across short expiries while spot sits at $445.09 and dealers show concentrated GEX pins at $440/$445/$455; in a pinning regime dealers are likely to manage exposures toward the $440-$445 band rather than push to MP immediately, so expect short-term magneting around those GEX levels while MP remains a lower structural target.

Signal vs Noise

~Very large 4/24 near-spot call prints (ITM $440/$442/$444) are directional but may include dealer compression/placement ahead of expiry — interpret as bullish but watch for expiry roll activity into 4/17 and 4/24.
~The huge number of contracts on 2026-05-15 $475 (113,446 vol) could be part of a structured trade (spreads or ratio/put-call combos) rather than pure directional calls; treat as multi-leg institutional positioning until confirmed by OI change.
~High long-dated call OI in the $495-$595 band is structural and may reflect selling/covered-call strategies by institutions rather than fresh bullish risk-on — isolated prints in that band are often part of hedged overlays.

Key Conclusions

🐂Strong near-term call demand at $440-$445 (10k+ contract prints) — dealers will hedge by buying spot, supporting price around the GEX pins.
📌Pinning regime reinforced: GEX concentration at $440, $445, $455 (+$12.1M, +$4.1M, +$8.1M) creates short-term price magnet behavior within the 2‑day EM range ($440.34-$449.83).
⚖️Volume skew (P/C 0.29) indicates fresh call exposure; OI skew (P/C OI 0.60) is less extreme — short-term bullishness without a full re-positioning of longer-term OI.
🔍Watch the May 15 $475 block flow — enormous notional (~$55M) that will define medium-term dealer hedging if OI increases; could create a higher call-OI magnet into mid-May.
🛑Max pain remains ~ $433 across expiries; a failure to hold the $440 GEX pin with rising put volume would flip the short-term thesis and accelerate selling toward MP levels.
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This flow reflects the market close on April 14, 2026.
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