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NVDA

NVIDIA CorporationClose $215.33EOD only

Max Pain

$220.00

Next expiry May 26, 2026

Expected Move

±$4.51

2.1% from close

Price Gap

+4.67

Distance to max pain

IV Rank

Middle-high premium

P/C OI

0.80

Slightly call-heavy

Consensus

8.0/10

Bullish tilt

Published snapshot: May 22, 2026 close

End-of-day snapshot

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

Published Snapshot

May 22, 2026 close

NVDA Directional Report

Analysis based on market close April 9, 2026

Directional Theta Gang Flow Earnings Consensus

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

You are viewing an older report from April 9, 2026. A newer directional report is available for May 22, 2026.

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Outlook

Neutral-to-bullish with an upside bias toward the upper EM ($186/$189) and a strong short-premium pin near $182.5–$185; Confidence: 7.0/10.

Confidence:

7 / 10

Base 7.0 from pre-computed: +798.3M GEX pinning and +$291.6M net premium supporting range/mean-reversion; slight negative from spot being 5.1% above multi-expiry max pain. No imminent catalyst omitted by the formula.

Supports: Large positive GEX concentrations at $185 (+$131.7M), $182.50 (+$128.1M) and put OI clusters at $175/$170 supporting downside catchers.
Conflicts: Vega moderate (Avg IV 43.3%) and rising longer-dated ATM IV (38–41%) slightly increases cost for longer-dated buys; max pain trend rising to $180-$185 conflicts with current spot above $183.91.

📌Pinning concentrated at $182.50 and $185 (GEX +$259.8M combined) — strong magnet within next week.

📈Net premium +$291.6M and P/C vol 0.63 — institutional call bias into protection/dispersion.

⚖️Gamma flip far below (~$140) — dealers long gamma near spot so moves ±2% will induce stabilizing hedging.

Regime Classification

Vol Regime

Normal

IV labeled Normal; ATM near-term IVs 23.9–30.5% (1–15d) but avg IV 43.3% reflects elevated long-dated vol — trade accordingly.

Gamma Regime

Pinning

Pinning: very large positive GEX $+798.3M concentrated at 182.5–185 which creates an NTM magnet and favors short-premium/range trades.

Flow Regime

Bullish

Bullish flow: Net premium +$291.6M and top premium strikes heavily concentrated on calls (e.g., $177.50, $182.50, $185), supporting call-driven pinning and dealer hedging buys below spot.

Spot vs Max Pain

Above

Spot $183.91 is above near-term MP ($175→$180 trend) so there is mild gravity toward $180–185 but MP rising suggests support for higher pin level over multiple expiries.

Thesis duration: Multi-week — Pinning and positive GEX concentrations persist across near expirations (182.5/185 multiple dte) and max pain trend rises from $175→$180→$185 over several expirations, supporting a 2–4 week horizon; prefer 30–45 DTE for primary trades.

Price Range Forecast

Next 2 days

$181.52$186.31

Sustained prints above $186.31 with volume would shift magnet toward $187.50 (next pin at +2% GEX).

Next 1 week

$178.74$189.08

Break below $178.74 (1w lower EM) would expose MP pull to $175; sustained close above $189 invalidates pin short-premium thesis.

Next 2 weeks

$174.84$192.99

A move below $174.84 would flip sentiment toward trend/downside; close >$193 begins trending regime.

Key Levels

Max pain pins: $175 (2026-04-10); $180 (2026-04-13); $175 (2026-04-15)

EM guardrails: 2d $181.52/$186.31; 1w $178.74/$189.08

Support: $182.50 · $180.00 · $175.00

Resistance: $185.00 · $189.08 · $195.00

Gamma flip: ~$140.00 — Approx — based on put OI concentration of 84,937 (23.9% below spot)

Structural: Structural call OI wall at $195–$200 caps upside into mid-term; major gamma flip/put floor sits near $140 and is the longer-term downside buffer.

Dealer Positioning (GEX/DEX)

GEX: $+798.3M

DEX: +389.4M shares

Gamma flip: ~$140 (Approx — based on put OI concentration of 84,937 (23.9% below spot))

NTM gamma: Large near-term positive gamma concentrated at $182.50 (+$128.1M) and $185.00 (+$131.7M) — dealers will buy dips into these levels and sell rallies above as hedging; if spot falls ~2% to ~$180 dealers buy to hedge (support), if spot rallies ~+2% to ~$188 dealers sell hedges (resistance) increasing mean-reversion forces.

IV Analysis

IV vs VIX: Avg IV 43.3% vs short-term ATM IVs 23.9–30.5%; near-term options appear cheaper (1–2 week ATM IV 23.9–30.5%) relative to longer-dated term; buy premium long-dated cautiously.

Term structure: Term structure steepens after ~22–43d (30–43d IV 32–38% then high 38–41% beyond 43d) — there is a vol pick-up in the 30–70d bucket.

Skew: Notable cheap near-term ATM IV (4/13 ATM 23.9%) vs May/Jun ATM ~32–38% — calendar/diagonal selling of near-term where IV is lower is attractive only if selling higher IV leg (see rule: sell the higher IV leg).

Flow Analysis

Net premium: + $291.6M (call-biased) with P/C vol 0.63; institutional call-heavy premium concentrated at $177.50, $182.50, $185 and $190.

Directional prints: 31.5 put 182.5 OTM 2026-04-10 — High-volume $182.50 puts (Vol 66,089 / OI 6,046) — could be bought protection or short put sale; consistent with dealers being long gamma and institutions hedging upside exposure (buy puts) but high net call premium suggests these prints are protection, not directional shorting. 30.9 put 182.5 OTM 2026-04-24 — $182.50 put flow (Vol 9,103 / OI 339) in 4/24 — fresh protective buys or structured selling; given large call premium net, interpret as protective hedges (buy puts) more likely.

Unusual: 31.5 put 182.5 OTM 2026-04-10 — Standout: 66,089 vol vs OI 6,046 at the 4/10 $182.50 put — concentrated short-dated protection into pin level.

Risks & Catalysts

!Pin release at 2026-04-10 expiry could cause pin unwind and quick directional move away from $182.5–$185.

!Large long-dated IV (Avg IV 43.3% and 43%+ beyond 70d) makes buying long dated premium expensive; time-decay vs event risk is material.

!Macro / tape risk: broad market shock or NVDA-specific negative news could overwhelm dealer pinning despite strong GEX.

!Gamma flip is deep (~$140) — a drop toward it would remove dealer stabilizing buys and accelerate downside.

Strategy Viability

Strategy	Edge	Best Setup	Primary Risk
Long stock	Moderate-Weak	Buy NVDA stock at $183.91	High capital with downside to $175/$170 levels; neutral to slightly bullish thesis better expressed via options.
Short stock	Weak	Avoid — GEX positive and dealer hedging will dampen trends	Adverse short squeezes into call-heavy flow and GEX support.
Covered call	Moderate	Buy stock + sell 2026-04-24 185 call (sell 4/24 $185C)	Capped upside near $185; assignment if rally above; limited income vs price risk.
Cash-secured put / put spread	Moderate-Strong	Sell 2026-04-24 $180 put or sell $180/$175 put spread 4/24	Gamma if spot falls below $178.74 (1w EM); put spread defined risk but still sensitive to pin release.
Long calls	Moderate-Weak	Buy 2026-05-22 $190 call (buy 5/22 $190C) for directional upside	Expensive IV beyond 30d; requires >$190+ move to be profitable; time decay and high long-dated IV.
Long puts / bear put spread	Moderate	Buy 2026-04-24 $182.5/$180 put spread (buy 4/24 182.5P sell 4/24 180P)	Costs premium; works if pin fails and spot drops below $180; limited reward vs buying outright puts.
Iron condor	Moderate-Strong	Sell 2026-04-24 $177.5/$175 put spread + sell $185/$190 call spread (4/24)	Tail risk on expiry pin release or gap; mid-week close outside EM eats P&L.
Calendar / diagonal	Moderate	Sell near-term 2026-04-24 $185 call, buy 2026-05-22 $185 call (sell 4/24 IV~? lower than 5/22 IV) — sell higher-IV leg per rule	Must follow rule: sell higher-IV leg; term structure shows higher IV in 30–43d so structure must be oriented accordingly; vega movements can invert edge.
PMCC / LEAPS diagonal	Moderate-Strong	Buy 2026-05-22 $175 LEAPS call / sell 2026-04-24 $185 call (DEBIT net) — use if holding stock or bullish longer-term	Expensive long-dated IV but provides upside participation with income; requires roll discipline.

Top Plays

Defined-risk short put spread (tactical)

Sell 2026-04-24 $180/$175 put spread

Edge from positive GEX pinning at $182.5–$185 and call-biased net premium; spread collects premium and benefits from dealer buys into dips.

Credit: $0.25-$0.55

Max loss: $4.75

BE: $179.75

Mgmt: Take profit at 50–70% of max credit, cut if spot < $178.74 (1w EM) or VIX spikes >30.

Traders seeking defined-risk premium collection over the next two weeks.

Iron condor (primary multi-week)

Sell 2026-04-24 $177.5/$175 put spread + sell $185/$190 call spread 4/24

Uses the concentrated GEX pins as the flywheel; collects premium inside $178.74–$189.08 1w EM with defined risk.

Credit: $0.60-$1.20

Max loss: $4.40

BE: Lower BE ~176.9 / Upper BE ~191.2

Mgmt: Take profit at 50–60% of max credit, hedge or exit if spot closes outside $174.84–$192.99 (2w EM) or VIX >32.

Accounts wanting enhanced theta with defined risk and willing to manage tail risk.

Calendar/Diagonal (30–45 DTE core)

Sell 2026-04-24 $185 call, buy 2026-05-22 $185 call (sell higher-IV leg per rule if applicable)

Exploits term-structure pick-up: near-term IV for 4/24 ATM ~30% vs 5/22 ATM ~38% (sell higher-IV leg per rule — if 5/22 > 4/24, sell 5/22 and buy 4/24 instead); structure benefits from pin holding and collects calendar decay while long-dated IV remains rich.

Credit: $0.10-$0.60

Max loss: Limited to the debit/assignment risk depending on structure

BE: Depends on fills; aim for positive calendar carry and roll plan

Mgmt: Close or roll if near-term leg moves ITM by >60% intrinsic or if IV differential compresses below 3 vol-pts.

Traders wanting directional but vega-aware exposure with 30–45 DTE skew capture.

Watchlist Triggers

Entry Triggers

IFIf spot tags $182.50 and holds for 30 minutes → Sell 2026-04-24 $180/$175 put spread

IFIf spot rallies to $186.31 (2d upper EM) with low uptick volume → Sell 2026-04-24 $185/$190 call spread

IFIf IV 30d (May ATM) > 36% and 4/24 ATM < 30% → Establish calendar: sell the higher-IV leg at $185 (sell 5/22 or 4/24 per rule) and buy the other to capture term premium

Adjustment Triggers

ADJIf spot drops and closes < $178.74 (1w lower EM) → Widen put wings (roll short 175 to 172.5 or add 172.5/170 protection) or buy 182.5/180 put spread to hedge short premium

ADJIf spot rallies and closes > $189.08 (1w upper EM) → Roll short call wing up (185→187.5) or close short call spreads if above $190

Exit Triggers

EXITIf VIX spikes above 32 or IV(30d) rises >6 vol-pts intraday → Exit all short-premium positions immediately

EXITIf a pinned expiry (2026-04-10/4-13) resolves away from $182.5–$185 with >1.5% gap → Take profits on short premium and reassess GEX magnet

Tactical Summary

Primary thesis: positive GEX pinning at $182.5–$185 favors defined-risk short-premium and calendar income over the next 2–4 weeks with multi-week edge; invalidation: sustained close below $174.84 (2w lower EM) or VIX >32 which flips regime toward trend/buying protection. Top plays: 4/24 $180/$175 put spread (tactical), 4/24 iron condor 177.5/175 x 185/190 (multi-week), and a 4/24–5/22 diagonal at $185 for calendar carry.

How to Use These Reports

This directional reflects the market close on April 9, 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.

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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.