thetaOwl

GOOGL

Alphabet Inc.Close $382.97EOD only
Max Pain
$387.50
Next expiry May 26, 2026
Expected Move
±$5.96
1.6% from close
Price Gap
+4.53
Distance to max pain
IV Rank
28
Middle-high premium
P/C OI
0.91
Balanced positioning
Consensus
8.5/10
Bullish tilt
Published snapshot: May 22, 2026 close
End-of-day snapshot

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

Published Snapshot
May 22, 2026 close
GOOGL Flow Report
Analysis based on market close April 7, 2026

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

You are viewing an older report from April 7, 2026. A newer flow report is available for May 22, 2026.

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Flow Verdict

BiasBullish
Confirmation: Follow-through net premium stays positive (Net Premium ≥+$40M) and continued call-heavy volume at 300–315 strikes with P/C volume ratio <0.9
Invalidation: Net premium flips negative or P/C volume ratio rises above 1.2 and large put buying appears at 290–305 strikes
Confidence:
7.5 / 10
base 5; +2 GEX/flow strongly aligned; +1 GEX positive (pinning); -0.5 spot 3.5% from MP

Watch next session: Activity at the 300–310 strikes (fresh call buys or short-call covering around $300–$310); Large put sweeps at $295–$300 that would push MP toward $295

Flow Summary

Net premium: +$61.0M bullish

P/C volume ratio: 0.78 — call-dominant (call volume ~22% greater than put volume)

P/C OI ratio: 0.86 — moderate call lean in positioning (OI still reasonably balanced but biased to calls)

Today’s flow is clearly call-biased: sizable net premium ($61.0M) and P/C volume ratio below 1.0. Dealers are long gamma (GEX +$133.7M) and the near-term GEX concentrations at 300/305/310 create pinning dynamics just around spot. Large activity in the April 8 and April 15 chains shows smart-money leaning into short-dated upside exposure while maintaining structural long-call OI further out ($330–$345).

Notable Prints

#1
GOOGL 2026-04-08 $305.00 Call
Vol: 14,236
OI: 2,141
Vol/OI: 6.7x
IV: 44.9%
Notional: ~$4,257,000
Intent: Directional call purchases or dealer put-writing/covered call rebalancing into expiry
Dual read: Could be fresh bullish call buying (driving dealer hedges that buy stock) or large dealers selling calls into demand (neutral/manage delta)

Read-through: High-volume, near-ATM call activity at the spot strike is the single largest short-dated bullish signal — consistent with pinning to the 300–310 area and forcing dealer buy-the-dip hedging into small intraday declines.

#2
GOOGL 2026-04-08 $295.00 Put
Vol: 11,458
OI: 565
Vol/OI: 20.3x
IV: 52.1%
Notional: ~$424,000
Intent: Short-dated protective put buying / sweep to press downside protection into expiration
Dual read: Either directional bearish hedging (buy puts) or complex flow (buy puts as part of a spread); could also be dealers covering short puts

Read-through: Large rush into April-8 295 puts shows hedging interest into the imminent expiry and contributes to the pin dynamic (MP near $295). Volume >> OI indicates new activity rather than passive OI shifts.

#3
GOOGL 2026-04-08 $300.00 Put
Vol: 10,845
OI: 657
Vol/OI: 16.5x
IV: 48.5%
Notional: ~$1,117,000
Intent: Short-dated protection and/or arbitrage into expiries — defensive buys
Dual read: Could be directional put buyers betting on a melt-down to MP, or traders executing structures (collars or put spreads) ahead of expiry

Read-through: Significant short-dated put buying at the $300 strike offsets some bullish call flow but is concentrated in the expiry day — likely hedges that accentuate pin risk toward $295–$300.

#4
GOOGL 2026-04-08 $310.00 Call
Vol: 6,602
OI: 883
Vol/OI: 7.5x
IV: 41.7%
Notional: ~$660,200
Intent: Fresh short-dated bullish exposure (OTM call accumulation) or roll/cover activity around dealer books
Dual read: Bought to express upside (~bullish) or sold against dealers' existing inventory (neutral)

Read-through: Strong call flow at $310 (a listed near-term GEX concentration) will increase dealer delta-hedging buy pressure beneath that level and reinforce pinning between $300–$310.

#5
GOOGL 2026-04-08 $297.50 Put
Vol: 12,084
OI: 1,391
Vol/OI: 8.7x
IV: 50.3%
Notional: ~$737,000
Intent: Short-dated downside protection or put-spread activity into expiry
Dual read: Likely protective/hedge buying (bearish/defensive) or part of more complex flow (synthetic repositioning)

Read-through: Heavy volume into near-ATM short-dated puts around 297.50 strengthens the expiry pin dynamic and shows asymmetric hedging demand just below spot.

Institutional Positioning

Call additions: $300.00–$315.00 short-dated calls (4/08–4/15) and larger structural call OI out at $330.00–$345.00

Put additions: Concentrated short-dated put buying at $295.00–$300.00 (April 8) and some put OI at $290–$300 across April expiries; long-dated protective put clusters at $200–$215 (structural floor)

GEX/DEX consistency: Yes — large positive GEX (+$133.7M) and DEX (+69.7M shares) align with bullish flow and the observed short-dated call buying; GEX concentrations create a pin around 300–310.

OI clusters: Largest OI clusters: $345C (56,811), $340C (41,515), $330C (29,073); near-term cluster concentration: $300C (9,340 / 5,643 entries across expirations), $310C (8,785). These call clusters create resistance above the spot but also supply for dealer hedging below spot.

Hedging evidence: Yes — heavy short-dated put buying (295–300) is clear evidence of protective hedging into April 8 expiry. Structural put OI at $215/$200 suggests long-term downside protection on institutional books.

Max pain context: Max pain for the imminent expiries sits at $295 while spot is $305.46 (spot above MP). Short-dated flows look to pin price toward the 295–300 band; dealers will be managing delta into that expiry which supports pinning dynamics.

Signal vs Noise

~A lot of flow is concentrated in the April 8 expiry — expiration-driven hedging and rolls (closing/reshaping exposures) are likely and can mimic directional flow.
~Large structural call OI at $330–$345 is long-dated positioning, not immediate directional conviction into this week.
~Some put buys (295–300) are likely expiration-protection rather than a new medium-term bearish thesis — watch if similar-sized put buying appears beyond April 8.
~The extreme premium at the $440 strike (net put premium) is tail-hedge activity — meaningful as tail insurance but not a near-term directional read.

Key Conclusions

🐂Net premium +$61.0M and P/C volume 0.78 point to a bullish intraday tilt centered on 300–310 short-dated strikes.
📌Pin risk elevated: concentrated GEX at $300/$305/$310 and heavy April-8 activity make 295–310 the battleground; dealers' positive gamma favors mean-reversion into these pins.
🛡️Large short-dated put flows at $295–$300 indicate defensive buying ahead of expiry — this increases downside protection demand and can limit upside momentum.
🔭Watch next session for follow-through at 300–310: sustained call flow pushes dealers to buy stock on dips; large put sweeps would reverse that dynamic.
🏗️Structural call walls at $330–$345 are longer-term resistance levels; expect those strikes to act as supply if price rallies into the 320–335 band.
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This flow reflects the market close on April 7, 2026.
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