# GET /api/mcp/data/smart-money/{ticker}

> Which NVDA trades look institutional today?

Filters today's flow for large premium, likely opening positions and out-of-the-money contracts with time, returns each with the criteria it met and a score.

- **Family:** Options flow (https://apexvol.com/developers/options-flow-api)
- **Plan:** Premium and above. Every call needs `Authorization: Bearer avmcp_<token>`; tokens are issued to paid and trial accounts under Account, then API Access.
- **Units:** premium in dollars; smart_money_score is a 0 to 100 heuristic.
- **Basis:** Heuristic filters on the same flow data as /flow; not attributed to any counterparty.
- **MCP tools:** `get_smart_money_flow`
- **Background:** https://apexvol.com/learn/open-interest-volume

## Parameters

| Name | In | Default | Range | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `ticker` (required) | path |  | any covered symbol | The underlying, upper case. Use /search to check coverage. |

## Request

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer avmcp_YOUR_TOKEN" \
     "https://apexvol.com/api/mcp/data/smart-money/NVDA"
```

## Response (captured 2026-09-08)

Real response, lists cut to the rows nearest the money. The envelope is `{"success": true, "data": ...}`.

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "smart_money_trades": [
      {
        "ask": 4.0,
        "bid": 3.95,
        "criteria": [
          "Large Premium",
          "Opening Position",
          "OTM with Time"
        ],
        "delta": 0.2642,
        "dte": 38,
        "expiration": "2026-10-16",
        "is_unusual": false,
        "mid": 3.975,
        "moneyness": "OTM",
        "oi": 69150,
        "premium": 5400037.5,
        "smart_money_score": 8,
        "strike": 250.0,
        "ticker": "NVDA",
        "timestamp": "2026-09-08T08:07:26.352058",
        "type": "CALL",
        "volume": 13585,
        "volume_oi_ratio": 0.1965
      },
      {
        "ask": 0.74,
        "bid": 0.72,
        "criteria": [
          "Large Premium",
          "Opening Position",
          "Aggressive Entry"
        ],
        "delta": 0.104,
        "dte": 10,
        "expiration": "2026-09-18",
        "is_unusual": false,
        "mid": 0.73,
        "moneyness": "OTM",
        "oi": 87596,
        "premium": 2234457.0,
        "smart_money_score": 7,
        "strike": 250.0,
        "ticker": "NVDA",
        "timestamp": "2026-09-08T08:07:26.279270",
        "type": "CALL",
        "volume": 30609,
        "volume_oi_ratio": 0.3494
      },
      {
        "ask": 2.25,
        "bid": 2.19,
        "criteria": [
          "Large Premium",
          "Opening Position",
          "OTM with Time"
        ],
        "delta": 0.1801,
        "dte": 38,
        "expiration": "2026-10-16",
        "is_unusual": false,
        "mid": 2.22,
        "moneyness": "OTM",
        "oi": 31871,
        "premium": 1314240.0,
        "smart_money_score": 8,
        "strike": 260.0,
        "ticker": "NVDA",
        "timestamp": "2026-09-08T08:07:26.352193",
        "type": "CALL",
        "volume": 5920,
        "volume_oi_ratio": 0.1857
      }
    ],
    "ticker": "NVDA",
    "timestamp": "2026-09-08T08:07:26.381762",
    "total_smart_trades": 99
  }
}
```

## Fields

- `smart_money_trades[].strike, expiration, type, premium, volume, oi`: The trade.
- `smart_money_trades[].criteria, smart_money_score`: Why it qualified.
- `total_smart_trades`: Count.

## Errors

- `401`: no or revoked token
- `429`: Retry-After seconds
- `403`: Premium plan required
- `424`: data feed unavailable, retry
- Full list: https://apexvol.com/developers/errors

## Ask it in an MCP client

- Are there any institutional-looking trades on NVDA today?
- Show smart-money flow on TSLA.
- Which large opening trades hit AAPL this session?

Conventions for units, bases and timestamps: https://apexvol.com/developers/conventions