This page reflects NSC options positioning from the latest published market-close snapshot. Intraday price and contract changes are not displayed.
Published Snapshot
Aug 19, 2026 close
Max Pain — NSC
Data as of market close Aug 19, 2026
Nearest listed expiration 2026-08-21 shows max pain at $330.00 (15.71 below spot). Use this page to evaluate pin-risk zones, strike pressure, and open-interest concentration before selecting trade structure.
Max Pain Strike
$330.00
Nearest expiry
Expected Move
±$5.98
±1.7%
Days to Expiry
2
Calendar days
Total Call OI
1,453
Nearest expiry
Total Put OI
4,606
Nearest expiry
P/C OI Ratio
3.17
Put-heavy
Spot Price
$345.71
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
$290.00
6/18/2026, 11:25:06 PM
2026-07-17
$310.00
7/17/2026, 11:27:29 PM
2026-08-21NextUpdated
$330.00
8/19/2026, 11:24:42 PM
2026-09-18
$330.00
8/19/2026, 11:24:42 PM
2026-12-18
$330.00
8/19/2026, 11:24:42 PM
2027-01-15
$300.00
8/19/2026, 11:24:42 PM
2027-03-19
$300.00
8/19/2026, 11:24:42 PM
2027-06-17
$330.00
8/19/2026, 11:24:42 PM
Selected expiration: 2026-08-21 at max pain $330.00.
NSC pain by strike for 2026-08-21 expiration
Strike
Call Pain
Put Pain
Total Pain
190
0
51987500
51987500
195
0
49688500
49688500
220
0
38201000
38201000
250
0
24419000
24419000
260
0
19826000
19826000
270
0
15241000
15241000
280
0
10733000
10733000
290
0
6240000
6240000
300
0
1837000
1837000
310
0
922000
922000
320
1000
287000
288000
330
12000
42000
54000
340
691000
16000
707000
350
1603000
0
1603000
360
2878000
0
2878000
370
4187000
0
4187000
380
5561000
0
5561000
400
8315000
0
8315000
450
15230000
0
15230000
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.