thetaOwl

TSM

Taiwan Semiconductor ManufacturClose $392.61EOD only
Max Pain
$400.00
Next expiry May 22, 2026
Expected Move
±$15.53
4.0% from close
Price Gap
+7.39
Distance to max pain
IV Rank
10
Low premium
P/C OI
1.41
Slightly put-heavy
Consensus
7.5/10
Bullish tilt
Published snapshot: May 19, 2026 close
End-of-day snapshot

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

Published Snapshot
May 19, 2026 close
TSM Theta Report
Analysis based on market close March 25, 2026

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

You are viewing an older report from March 25, 2026. A newer theta report is available for April 6, 2026.

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Theta Verdict

Attractiveness8 / 10
Sizing: Moderate to Full
Primary: Sell put spreads below the gamma flip, targeting OI support levels.
Invalidation: Close below $330 gamma flip level.
Confidence:
7 / 10
base 5; +2 high IV; +1 strong pinning; +1 spot above MP; -2 VIX >25

IV Environment

IV Regime
High
IV vs VIX
IV 49.4% vs VIX 25.33 — significantly elevated
Favorable?
Yes

Term structure: IV humped at 2-8 DTE (~45%), elevated through May, then flattens ~44-45%.

💰IV ~49% is rich, offering excellent premium for sellers.
📅Term structure supports selling 30-45 DTE (April/May) for optimal theta decay.

Pin Risk Assessment

Spot vs MP: Above max pain by 6.2% (Spot $347.75 vs MP $328)

GEX regime: Pinning (GEX +$5.0M — mean-reverting)

Gamma flip: ~$330.00Below $330, negative gamma from large put OI could accelerate selling.

OI concentrations: Major Put Walls: $330 (23K OI), $300 (20.5K OI). Major Call Wall: $330 (42K OI).

Verdict: Very Favorable — Strong pinning forces near $330, well below current spot, supporting credit positions.

Premium Opportunities

#1
put spread
Sell $330/$320 Put Spread, 2026-05-01 (37 DTE)
Targets the massive $330 put OI wall (23,161) for support. Sits just below the gamma flip, collecting rich premium in a high IV, pinning regime. Max pain for this expiry is $340, providing a buffer.
Credit: $1.15-$1.40
Max loss: $8.60
BE: $328.60
Mgmt: Close at 65% profit (~$0.75 credit remaining). Roll up/out if spot breaches $335. Exit entire position if spot closes below $330.
#2
iron condor
Sell $360 Call / Buy $365 Call & Sell $320 Put / Buy $315 Put, 2026-04-24 (30 DTE)
Defined-risk play on range-bound action. Wings set outside the 30-day expected move ($312.75 - $382.75). High IV provides juicy credit. Pinning forces near $330 and max pain at $340 for this expiry support a neutral thesis.
Credit: $1.80-$2.20
Max loss: $3.20
BE: Upper: $361.80, Lower: $318.20
Mgmt: Close at 50% profit. Manage losing side independently; roll untested side in to reduce risk. Exit if spot breaches a short strike by more than $5.
#3
cash-secured put
Sell $300 Put, 2026-06-18 (85 DTE)
For capital-secure sellers comfortable with assignment. Targets the enormous $300 OI wall (20,542) and aligns with longer-term max pain. Collects substantial premium (~3% of strike) for a 16.6% downside move to breakeven. High IV makes this attractive.
Credit: $7.50-$9.00
Max loss: $291.00
BE: $292.50
Mgmt: Roll down/out at 21 DTE if put is ITM and you wish to avoid assignment. Close at 70% profit. Be aware of assignment risk as ex-dividend approaches (none imminent).
#4
call credit spread
Sell $360 Call / Buy $365 Call, 2026-04-02 (8 DTE)
Short-term, defined-risk bearish play. $360 is a key premium flow level ($5M net call). Spot is well below, and the 8-day expected move top is $365.18. High short-term IV (44.2%) and rapid theta decay favor this weekly spread.
Credit: $0.55-$0.75
Max loss: $4.25
BE: $360.55
Mgmt: Close at 80% profit due to short duration. Exit if spot trades above $358. Let expire worthless if OTM.

Risk Alerts

!Gamma Flip at $330 — A close below this level could trigger accelerated selling as dealer hedging shifts from stabilizing to amplifying moves.
!VIX at 25.33 — Elevated market volatility adds systemic tail risk; size positions accordingly.
!Unusual Put Flow at $317.50 (4/02) — Large volume (5,677 vs 161 OI) suggests institutional downside hedging for next week; monitor.
!Massive $300 Strike Concentration — Extreme OI and premium flow ($76M net call) creates a powerful magnet; expect fierce battles at this level.
!IV Crush Risk on Calm — If VIX drops significantly, longer-dated IV (~45%) could compress, hurting premium value of existing positions.
How to Use These Reports
This theta reflects the market close on March 25, 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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Reports are most useful for narrowing the playbook, surfacing entry and risk context, and deciding which raw data page to inspect next.

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.