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INTC

Intel CorporationClose $121.77EOD only
Max Pain
$111.00
Next expiry May 29, 2026
Expected Move
±$7.03
5.8% from close
Price Gap
-10.77
Distance to max pain
IV Rank
60
High premium
P/C OI
1.04
Balanced positioning
Consensus
7.0/10
Bullish tilt
Published snapshot: May 27, 2026 close
End-of-day snapshot

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

Published Snapshot
May 27, 2026 close
INTC Directional Report
Analysis based on market close April 6, 2026
DirectionalTheta GangFlowEarningsConsensus

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Outlook

Neutral-to-bearish with downside gravity toward $47-$45. Confidence: 7/10 (base 5; +2 GEX/flow strongly aligned; +1 GEX positive (pinning); -1 spot 8.0% from MP). Strongest signals: GEX +$153.3M (pinning), max pain ladder falling ($47 → $40), net premium +$19.8M (bullish flow). Conflicts: Spot above MP by 8.0% creates pull risk, IV 71.2% high.

Confidence:
7 / 10
Base 7; GEX pinning and flow support, but spot-MP divergence and high IV limit upside conviction.
Supports: GEX +$153.3M (pinning), net premium +$19.8M (bullish), max pain $47-$45 ladder.
Conflicts: Spot 8.0% above MP ($50.78 vs $47), IV 71.2% high, P/C volume 1.07 (balanced).
📊GEX +$153.3M pins near $50-$55.
📉Max pain ladder falling from $47 to $40.
💰Net premium +$19.8M bullish flow.

Regime Classification

Vol Regime
High
IV 71.2% vs sector — high vol, favors selling premium.
Gamma Regime
Pinning
GEX +$153.3M concentrated at $50-$55, pinning spot.
Flow Regime
Mixed
Net prem +$19.8M bullish; P/C vol 1.07 balanced.
Spot vs Max Pain
Above
Spot $50.78 above MP $47 by 8.0%.
Thesis duration: Multi-week — Max pain ladder trends down ($47 → $40), GEX sign stable positive, flow regime consistent across expirations.

Price Range Forecast

Next 2 weeks
$44.03$57.53
Max pain $47 dominates; >$55 invalidates.

Key Levels

Max pain pins: $47 (2026-04-10); $45 (2026-04-17); $42 (2026-04-24)
EM guardrails:
Support: $50.00 · $47.00 · $45.00
Resistance: $55.00 · $52.50 · $52.00
Structural: Call OI $55-$70 caps upside; put floor $30-$30 distant.

Dealer Positioning (GEX/DEX)

GEX: $+153.3M

DEX: +161.9M shares

Gamma flip: N/A

NTM gamma: GEX +$26.3M at $50, +$13.9M at $55; dealer hedging buys dips, sells rallies.

IV Analysis

IV vs VIX: IV 71.2% — high, cheap to sell.

Term structure: Humped — 4/24 74.9% > 4/17 64.8% (earnings kink).

Skew: 4/24 vs 4/17 ~10 vol-pt differential.

Flow Analysis

Net premium: +$19.8M bullish; P/C vol 1.07 balanced.

Directional prints: put 50 OTM 2026-04-24 — Vol 7,311 vs OI 704 (10.4x) — likely bought for protection. put 51 ITM 2026-04-17 — Vol 1,411 vs OI 103 (13.7x) — likely sold for premium.

Unusual: 64.7 call 80 OTM 2026-11-20 — Vol 8,086 vs OI 846 (9.6x) — long-dated lottery.

Risks & Catalysts

!Earnings 4/23 vol crush risk
!Gamma pin breaks below $47
!High IV 71.2% may compress
!MP ladder falling accelerates downside.

Strategy Viability

StrategyEdgeBest SetupPrimary Risk
Long stockModerate-Weak
Avoid — spot above MP, high IV.
Downside gravity to $47.
Short stockModerate
Short at $52 resistance.
GEX pinning holds above $50.
Covered callModerate-Strong
Own shares, sell $55 call 4/17.
IV crush post-earnings.
Cash-secured put / put spreadStrong
Sell $47/$45 put spread 4/17.
Break below $45.
Long callsWeak
Avoid — high IV, spot above MP.
IV crush and pin drag.
Long puts / bear put spreadsModerate-Strong
Buy $50/$47 put spread 4/17.
GEX pinning holds.
Iron condorModerate-Strong
$47/$45P x $55/$57C 4/17.
Earnings vol expansion.
Calendar/diagonalModerate
Sell 4/24 74.9% IV, buy 4/17 64.8% IV regular calendar at $50.
Earnings skew mispricing.
PMCC / LEAPS diagonalModerate
Buy 2027-03-19 $40 call, sell 4/17 $55 call.
Time decay on short leg.

Top Plays

#1
Put Spread
Sell $47/$45 put spread 4/17.
Defined-risk premium below MP with GEX support.
Credit: $0.45-$0.55
Max loss: $1.55
BE: $46.55
Mgmt: Close at 70% max profit; stop if spot <$45.
Premium sellers betting pin holds above $47.
#2
Iron Condor
$47/$45P x $55/$57C 4/17.
Range-bound trade between MP $47 and call OI $55.
Credit: $0.65-$0.80
Max loss: $1.35
BE: $46.35
Mgmt: Close at 50% max profit; adjust if spot breaches $45 or $55.
Neutral traders selling high IV.
#3
Bear Put Spread
Buy $50/$47 put spread 4/24.
30+ DTE captures multi-week MP drift to $42 with earnings hedge.
Debit: $1.20-$1.40
Max loss: $1.80
BE: $48.80
Mgmt: Hold through earnings; take profit at 100% return.
Directional bears needing time for thesis.

Watchlist Triggers

Entry Triggers
IFSpot tags $52 resistance, holds 1 hour. → Sell $55/$57 call spread 4/17.
IFIV >75% on 4/24 expiry. → Sell 4/24 $50 straddle.
Exit Triggers
EXITSpot >$55. → Exit all bearish positions.
EXITMax profit reached on credit spreads. → Close position.

Tactical Summary

Primary thesis: bearish drift toward $47-$45 MP ladder, with GEX pinning limiting moves. Invalidation: spot >$55. Regime favors selling premium in range. Top plays: put spread (premium sellers), iron condor (neutral), bear put spread (directional bears).
How to Use These Reports
This directional reflects the market close on April 6, 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.