CMS Options Chain Analysis

Delayed CBOE data, snapshot 2026-08-18. Spot $71.4.

Put/Call (OI)

0.26

852 P / 3k C

Put/Call (Volume)

0.98

103 P / 105 C today

30d ATM IV

18%

annualized implied move

Call wall

$80

1k contracts

Put wall

$70

413 contracts

Tail hedging

0.1×

deep-OTM puts vs calls

What the positioning says

●Bullish positioning: only 0.26 puts per call outstanding.
●Call wall at $80 (1k contracts), 12% above spot — the upside strike the crowd is already parked on; often acts as near-term resistance.
●Put wall at $70 (413 contracts), 2% below spot — the hedge floor; often acts as support.
●Deep-OTM call OI is 13.1× deep-OTM put OI — speculative upside positioning dominates the tails.
●30-day ATM implied volatility is 18% — calm pricing; option premium is cheap.

Open interest by strike

All expiries combined. Amber lines mark the call and put walls; the dashed line is spot.

IV term structure

At-the-money implied volatility per expiry.

Volatility smile

IV by strike — expiry 2026-09-18. A steep left side = expensive downside protection.

30-day implied volatility history

Daily ATM IV (~30 DTE bucket) collected since March 2026. Rising IV into an event = the market bracing; collapsing IV after = the crush.

Open interest by expiry

Expiry	Call OI	Put OI	P/C	Volume today
2026-08-21	843	202	0.24	57
2026-09-18	2k	475	0.28	36
2026-12-18	710	155	0.22	100
2027-03-19	26	20	0.77	15

Source: CBOE delayed quotes, refreshed daily after US market close. Open interest is exchange-reported and lags one session. Research, not investment advice.