This page reflects VNOM 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 — VNOM
Data as of market close Aug 18, 2026
Nearest listed expiration 2026-08-21 shows max pain at $42.00 (1.57 below spot). Use this page to evaluate pin-risk zones, strike pressure, and open-interest concentration before selecting trade structure.
Max Pain Strike
$42.00
Nearest expiry
Expected Move
±$1.23
±2.8%
Days to Expiry
3
Calendar days
Total Call OI
3,253
Nearest expiry
Total Put OI
1,662
Nearest expiry
P/C OI Ratio
0.51
Put-heavy
Spot Price
$43.57
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
$43.00
6/18/2026, 11:37:49 PM
2026-07-17
$43.00
7/17/2026, 11:36:48 PM
2026-08-21NextUpdated
$42.00
8/18/2026, 11:37:35 PM
2026-09-18
$42.00
8/18/2026, 11:37:35 PM
2026-11-20
$41.00
8/18/2026, 11:37:35 PM
2026-12-18
$42.00
8/18/2026, 11:37:35 PM
2027-03-19
$38.00
8/18/2026, 11:37:35 PM
Selected expiration: 2026-08-21 at max pain $42.00.
VNOM pain by strike for 2026-08-21 expiration
Strike
Call Pain
Put Pain
Total Pain
35
0
854800
854800
36
0
688900
688900
37
0
525300
525300
38
0
373500
373500
39
100
232300
232400
40
200
91600
91800
41
2300
48300
50600
42
10900
11300
22200
43
39400
4800
44200
44
102100
1200
103300
45
237500
500
238000
46
468400
0
468400
47
721800
0
721800
48
1019100
0
1019100
49
1329400
0
1329400
50
1646500
0
1646500
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.