This page reflects PBA 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 — PBA
Data as of market close Aug 18, 2026
Nearest listed expiration 2026-08-21 shows max pain at $45.00 (4.36 below spot). Use this page to evaluate pin-risk zones, strike pressure, and open-interest concentration before selecting trade structure.
Max Pain Strike
$45.00
Nearest expiry
Expected Move
±$1.02
±2.1%
Days to Expiry
3
Calendar days
Total Call OI
7,202
Nearest expiry
Total Put OI
637
Nearest expiry
P/C OI Ratio
0.09
Put-heavy
Spot Price
$49.36
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
$45.00
6/18/2026, 11:24:51 PM
2026-07-17
$40.00
7/17/2026, 11:31:56 PM
2026-08-21NextUpdated
$45.00
8/18/2026, 11:27:32 PM
2026-09-18
$50.00
8/18/2026, 11:27:32 PM
2026-10-16
$45.00
8/18/2026, 11:27:32 PM
2026-11-20
$45.00
8/18/2026, 11:27:32 PM
2027-02-19
$40.00
8/18/2026, 11:27:32 PM
Selected expiration: 2026-08-21 at max pain $45.00.
PBA pain by strike for 2026-08-21 expiration
Strike
Call Pain
Put Pain
Total Pain
20
0
1198000
1198000
22.5
0
1038750
1038750
25
0
879500
879500
30
500
561000
561500
35
1000
242500
243500
40
3000
123500
126500
45
58000
20500
78500
50
345000
0
345000
55
1085500
0
1085500
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.