This page reflects PAYC 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 — PAYC
Data as of market close Aug 18, 2026
Nearest listed expiration 2026-08-21 shows max pain at $160.00 (55.72 below spot). Use this page to evaluate pin-risk zones, strike pressure, and open-interest concentration before selecting trade structure.
Max Pain Strike
$160.00
Nearest expiry
Expected Move
±$9.05
±4.2%
Days to Expiry
3
Calendar days
Total Call OI
3,511
Nearest expiry
Total Put OI
4,043
Nearest expiry
P/C OI Ratio
1.15
Put-heavy
Spot Price
$215.72
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
$130.00
6/18/2026, 11:30:50 PM
2026-07-17
$135.00
7/17/2026, 11:32:08 PM
2026-08-21NextUpdated
$160.00
8/18/2026, 11:30:05 PM
2026-09-18
$190.00
8/18/2026, 11:30:05 PM
2026-11-20
$190.00
8/18/2026, 11:30:05 PM
2026-12-18
$180.00
8/18/2026, 11:30:05 PM
2027-01-15
$170.00
8/18/2026, 11:30:05 PM
2027-02-19
$160.00
8/18/2026, 11:30:05 PM
Selected expiration: 2026-08-21 at max pain $160.00.
PAYC pain by strike for 2026-08-21 expiration
Strike
Call Pain
Put Pain
Total Pain
60
0
33880500
33880500
65
0
31865000
31865000
70
0
29852000
29852000
75
2000
27928500
27930500
80
4000
26007500
26011500
85
6500
24091500
24098000
90
10000
22175500
22185500
95
14000
20279000
20293000
100
18000
18469500
18487500
105
23000
16795500
16818500
110
29000
15174500
15203500
115
36500
13573500
13610000
120
44500
12002000
12046500
125
91500
10627000
10718500
130
167000
9278000
9445000
135
333500
8037000
8370500
140
539000
6832000
7371000
145
919500
5796500
6716000
150
1326000
4802000
6128000
155
1805500
4005500
5811000
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.