This page reflects IQV 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 — IQV
Data as of market close Aug 18, 2026
Nearest listed expiration 2026-08-21 shows max pain at $210.00 (30.03 below spot). Use this page to evaluate pin-risk zones, strike pressure, and open-interest concentration before selecting trade structure.
Max Pain Strike
$210.00
Nearest expiry
Expected Move
±$6.33
±2.6%
Days to Expiry
3
Calendar days
Total Call OI
5,785
Nearest expiry
Total Put OI
5,879
Nearest expiry
P/C OI Ratio
1.02
Put-heavy
Spot Price
$240.03
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
$180.00
6/18/2026, 11:16:54 PM
2026-07-17
$195.00
7/17/2026, 11:19:47 PM
2026-08-21NextUpdated
$210.00
8/18/2026, 11:18:35 PM
2026-09-18
$220.00
8/18/2026, 11:18:35 PM
2026-11-20
$200.00
8/18/2026, 11:18:35 PM
2027-01-15
$210.00
8/18/2026, 11:18:35 PM
2027-02-19
$260.00
8/18/2026, 11:18:35 PM
Selected expiration: 2026-08-21 at max pain $210.00.
IQV pain by strike for 2026-08-21 expiration
Strike
Call Pain
Put Pain
Total Pain
90
0
52973500
52973500
95
500
50037500
50038000
105
1500
44165500
44167000
110
2000
41230000
41232000
115
2500
38296000
38298500
120
3000
35367000
35370000
125
3500
32441000
32444500
130
4000
29515500
29519500
135
5000
26601500
26606500
140
8500
23759000
23767500
145
12500
20969000
20981500
150
16500
18189500
18206000
155
28500
15769500
15798000
160
41000
13407500
13448500
165
57000
11378500
11435500
170
85500
9629500
9715000
175
128500
8166500
8295000
180
185000
6865500
7050500
185
390000
5896000
6286000
190
713000
4954500
5667500
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.