What is options flow analysis?

Options flow analysis tracks real-time options order volume to identify unusual trading activity that may indicate institutional positioning. By monitoring call vs put volume, trade size, and whether orders hit the ask (aggressive buying) or bid (aggressive selling), traders can detect potential smart money activity before it's reflected in stock prices.

What does a high call-to-put ratio mean?

A high call-to-put ratio indicates more call options are being traded relative to puts, suggesting bullish market sentiment. However, context matters — if calls are being sold rather than bought, the signal may be neutral or bearish. Extreme readings in either direction often indicate contrarian reversal opportunities.

How do you detect unusual options activity?

Unusual options activity is identified when current volume significantly exceeds average daily volume (typically 2x or more), when large block trades occur, when options trade predominantly on the ask side (indicating aggressive buying), or when activity is concentrated in specific strikes or expirations that deviate from normal patterns.

What is the difference between options flow and open interest?

Options flow measures real-time trading volume — the number of contracts changing hands right now. Open interest measures the total number of outstanding contracts that have not been closed. Flow shows current activity and sentiment, while open interest shows accumulated positioning. A spike in flow without a corresponding change in open interest indicates day trading rather than new position building.

AAPL Options Flow - Unusual Activity & Smart Money

Flow Sentiment Flow SentimentComposite score from -100 (extreme bearish) to +100 (extreme bullish) based on put/call ratio, premium imbalance, and volume patterns.

Premium by Strike

Premium by Expiration

Premium Heatmap (Strike x Expiration)

Net premium: Green = Call heavy, Red = Put heavy

Cumulative Net Premium

Running total across strikes (Call - Put)

Top 10 Strikes by Volume

Expiration	Strike	Type	Volume Total number of contracts traded today at this strike. Compare to OI to gauge new vs. closing activity.	OI Open interest — total outstanding contracts. Rising OI with volume confirms new positions being opened.	Vol/OI Volume-to-open-interest ratio. Above 2.0 suggests unusual new activity; above 5.0 is highly unusual and may indicate institutional positioning.	Premium Total dollar premium spent on this contract. Large premium on a single strike often signals conviction trades.	Moneyness
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Expiration	Strike	Type	Volume	OI	Vol/OI Flagged when volume far exceeds open interest, indicating aggressive new positioning rather than routine hedging.	Premium	DTE
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Expiration	Strike	Type	Premium	Score Smart money confidence score based on premium size, Vol/OI ratio, and trade characteristics. Higher scores indicate stronger institutional signals.	Criteria Factors that flagged this trade: large premium, high Vol/OI, block trade execution, or sweep orders split across exchanges for speed.
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