Now I have enough data to write the article. Key signals:
Iran's Strait of Hormuz standoff is shaking options markets. President Trump posted late Tuesday that shipping through the strait would be "paused" pending a peace deal. That single headline lit up SPY and USO options across near-term expiries running daily through May.
Oil names are the clearest tell. has surged 55% year-to-date. is up 40%. Both are seeing fresh options interest as traders position around energy supply risk. The geopolitical premium is real — Iran war fears are dominating FT Markets headlines this week.
Super Micro Computer posted Q3 2026 earnings Tuesday night. Its options chain out to July is active. Near-term expiries cluster around May 8 and May 15 — a sign traders are watching for a post-results move fast.
MaxLinear carries the highest options sentiment score in the ORTEX screener right now. The stock is up 348% year-to-date. A RSI of 87.5 signals overbought territory. Options flow into a name running that hot tends to attract both momentum chasers and contrarian put buyers.
Meta Platforms leads the field for bearish options count over the past seven days. The stock is down 7.8% year-to-date. Its RSI sits at 41.3. Bears are loading up as the stock struggles to regain footing.
Sandisk tops the negative options bets ranking by volume. It has rallied 429% in 2026. That kind of run draws hedgers and short-term put buyers looking to fade the move.
NVDA shows near-daily expiry dates through July — a sign of structural options market depth. This is not unusual activity. It reflects the stock's role as the market's de facto AI bellwether.
This is not financial advice.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
