This page reflects HCC options positioning from the latest published market-close snapshot. Intraday price and contract changes are not displayed.
Published Snapshot
Aug 18, 2026 close
Max Pain — HCC
Data as of market close Aug 18, 2026
Nearest listed expiration 2026-08-21 shows max pain at $80.00 (17.74 below spot). Use this page to evaluate pin-risk zones, strike pressure, and open-interest concentration before selecting trade structure.
Max Pain Strike
$80.00
Nearest expiry
Expected Move
±$3.77
±3.9%
Days to Expiry
3
Calendar days
Total Call OI
473
Nearest expiry
Total Put OI
397
Nearest expiry
P/C OI Ratio
0.84
Put-heavy
Spot Price
$97.74
Published close
Consensus
-
Open report for full read
Max Pain by Expiration
Pain by Strike
Drill into expiration
Selected: 2026-08-21
Expiration
Max Pain Strike
Last Updated
2026-06-18
$95.00
6/18/2026, 11:16:24 PM
2026-07-17
$85.00
7/17/2026, 11:20:32 PM
2026-08-21NextUpdated
$80.00
8/18/2026, 11:16:18 PM
2026-09-18
$90.00
8/18/2026, 11:16:18 PM
2026-10-16
$80.00
8/18/2026, 11:16:18 PM
2027-01-15
$95.00
8/18/2026, 11:16:18 PM
Selected expiration: 2026-08-21 at max pain $80.00.
HCC pain by strike for 2026-08-21 expiration
Strike
Call Pain
Put Pain
Total Pain
50
0
889000
889000
55
500
691000
691500
60
2000
496000
498000
65
3500
328000
331500
70
5000
181000
186000
75
7500
68500
76000
80
10500
25500
36000
85
29500
15000
44500
90
87000
8000
95000
95
186000
4500
190500
100
343500
2000
345500
105
575500
1000
576500
110
810000
0
810000
115
1045000
0
1045000
How to Read Max Pain
Compare pin-risk and strike-pressure across expirations from the latest published close.
What max pain measures
Max pain is the strike where option holders would collectively lose the most at expiration, based on open interest across the listed chain.
How traders use it
It is most useful as a possible pinning zone, especially when spot is already trading near a crowded strike into expiration.
What can break it
Strong directional flows, news, or fast spot moves can overwhelm any pinning tendency, so max pain should support a thesis rather than drive it alone.
The closer you are to expiration, the more useful this becomes as context and the less useful it is as a standalone prediction.