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Best Stocks for Earnings Straddles: Top 10 Moves
Ten names ranked by the earnings move options are pricing, each shown against the average move that ticker has actually delivered.
On this page
The short answer
An earnings straddle is a bet that the stock moves more than the options already charge for. That makes the implied move useless on its own — a 12% implied move is only expensive or cheap relative to what that specific company has historically done. The comparison is the entire trade.
This screen ranks by implied earnings move and shows the historical average absolute move beside it, so the ratio is visible rather than assumed. A name pricing 12% that typically delivers 6% is a straddle seller's candidate; one pricing 8% that routinely delivers 11% is a buyer's. Both live on this list, and which is which changes every quarter.
ApexVol screens 417 optionable names for this list, requiring a $10+ share price and 5,000+ contracts of average daily option volume before ranking. Ranked by the implied earnings move (a percentage of share price, not dollars), shown against absAvgErnMv, the historical average absolute earnings move for the same name. Requires $10+ share price and 5,000+ contracts average daily option volume.
Ranked at a glance
10 picks,
in order.
Ranked by the implied earnings move (a percentage of share price, not dollars), shown against absAvgErnMv, the historical average absolute earnings move for the same name. Requires $10+ share price and 5,000+ contracts average daily option volume.
| Rank | Name | Key stat | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LQDA | IV percentile 27 (IV 132.6%) | Options price a 16.6% earnings move against a 6.1% historical average — a ratio of 2.7x. IV rank 27. |
| 2 | PCVX | IV percentile 96 (IV 109.0%) | Options price a 15.2% earnings move against a 5.0% historical average — a ratio of 3.1x. IV rank 96. |
| 3 | AXTI | IV percentile 9 (IV 123.8%) | Options price a 13.2% earnings move against a 21.8% historical average — a ratio of 0.6x. IV rank 9. |
| 4 | FSLY | IV percentile 77 (IV 88.0%) | Options price a 13.1% earnings move against a 26.1% historical average — a ratio of 0.5x. IV rank 77. |
| 5 | IOVA | IV percentile 50 (IV 122.1%) | Options price a 12.3% earnings move against a 22.4% historical average — a ratio of 0.5x. IV rank 50. |
| 6 | MRNA | IV percentile 96 (IV 100.2%) | Options price a 11.5% earnings move against a 7.3% historical average — a ratio of 1.6x. IV rank 96. |
| 7 | AAOI | IV percentile 0 (IV 84.2%) | Options price a 11.5% earnings move against a 15.0% historical average — a ratio of 0.8x. IV rank 0. |
| 8 | PL | IV percentile 2 (IV 70.0%) | Options price a 11.4% earnings move against a 25.3% historical average — a ratio of 0.5x. IV rank 2. |
| 9 | BTDR | IV percentile 8 (IV 93.3%) | Options price a 11.1% earnings move against a 13.9% historical average — a ratio of 0.8x. IV rank 8. |
| 10 | DOCN | IV percentile 56 (IV 79.4%) | Options price a 10.9% earnings move against a 14.9% historical average — a ratio of 0.7x. IV rank 56. |
-
LQDA Top pick
Options price a 16.6% earnings move against a 6.1% historical average — a ratio of 2.7x. IV rank 27.
IV percentile 27 (IV 132.6%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 16.6% implied move
-
PCVX
Options price a 15.2% earnings move against a 5.0% historical average — a ratio of 3.1x. IV rank 96.
IV percentile 96 (IV 109.0%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 15.2% implied move
-
AXTI
Options price a 13.2% earnings move against a 21.8% historical average — a ratio of 0.6x. IV rank 9.
IV percentile 9 (IV 123.8%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 13.2% implied move
-
FSLY
Options price a 13.1% earnings move against a 26.1% historical average — a ratio of 0.5x. IV rank 77.
IV percentile 77 (IV 88.0%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 13.1% implied move
-
IOVA
Options price a 12.3% earnings move against a 22.4% historical average — a ratio of 0.5x. IV rank 50.
IV percentile 50 (IV 122.1%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 12.3% implied move
-
MRNA
Options price a 11.5% earnings move against a 7.3% historical average — a ratio of 1.6x. IV rank 96.
IV percentile 96 (IV 100.2%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 11.5% implied move
-
AAOI
Options price a 11.5% earnings move against a 15.0% historical average — a ratio of 0.8x. IV rank 0.
IV percentile 0 (IV 84.2%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 11.5% implied move
-
PL
Options price a 11.4% earnings move against a 25.3% historical average — a ratio of 0.5x. IV rank 2.
IV percentile 2 (IV 70.0%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 11.4% implied move
-
BTDR
Options price a 11.1% earnings move against a 13.9% historical average — a ratio of 0.8x. IV rank 8.
IV percentile 8 (IV 93.3%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 11.1% implied move
-
DOCN
Options price a 10.9% earnings move against a 14.9% historical average — a ratio of 0.7x. IV rank 56.
IV percentile 56 (IV 79.4%), measured 2026-09-30
Ideal for 10.9% implied move
Live data, refreshed October 1, 2026. October 2026 data refresh: rebuilt from 417 liquid names on the 2026-09-30 data snapshot. Top pick LQDA at 16.6% implied move.
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Questions
About this ranking.
How do I know if an earnings straddle is too expensive?
Compare the implied move with what the stock has actually done on past earnings. If options price 10% and the name has averaged 5% over its recent history, the straddle needs an unusually large reaction just to break even. That ratio is shown for every row on this list.
What is IV crush and why does it matter here?
Implied volatility inflates ahead of earnings and collapses the moment the news is out. A long straddle can be right about direction and still lose, because the volatility component of both legs deflates simultaneously. The move has to exceed what was priced, not merely happen.
Should I buy or sell the earnings straddle?
That depends entirely on the implied-versus-historical ratio, and this list contains both cases. Structurally, implied moves tend to be priced slightly above realised ones, which favours sellers on average — but the losses when a seller is wrong are far larger than the wins, so position size decides the outcome.
Is the implied move a percentage or a dollar amount?
A percentage of the share price. Our data feed reports implied and historical earnings moves in percentage points, and both figures on this page use that convention directly with no conversion.
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