Track where smart money is placing bets. See real-time call/put volume, open interest, implied volatility, and unusual activity for any stock.
Options flow refers to the real-time tracking of options order data across the market, allowing traders to identify where large institutional players and hedge funds are placing directional bets on a stock. By monitoring the flow of call and put orders, you can gain insight into market sentiment before major price moves occur. Heavy call buying generally suggests bullish sentiment, as traders are betting the underlying stock will rise, while heavy put buying indicates bearish sentiment and expectations of a decline. Understanding options flow gives retail traders a window into the positioning of smart money, helping them align their trades with institutional conviction and avoid being caught on the wrong side of large moves.
Call volume represents the total number of call option contracts traded during a given session, while put volume represents the total number of put contracts traded. The put/call ratio is calculated by dividing put volume by call volume — a ratio below 1.0 indicates more calls are being traded than puts, which is generally considered bullish, while a ratio above 1.0 suggests bearish sentiment as more puts are being purchased. It is important to compare volume against open interest to understand whether the activity represents new positions being opened or existing positions being closed. When volume significantly exceeds open interest at a particular strike price, it typically signals fresh capital entering the market with strong directional conviction.
Unusual options activity occurs when the trading volume for a specific contract significantly exceeds its open interest, typically by a factor of two or more. This disparity strongly suggests that new positions are being opened rather than existing ones being closed, indicating fresh directional bets by market participants. Large notional value trades — where the total dollar amount of the contracts is substantial — often point to institutional or hedge fund activity, as these entities have the capital to place outsized bets ahead of anticipated catalysts such as earnings reports, FDA decisions, or macroeconomic events. Tracking unusual options activity allows traders to spot potential breakout or breakdown candidates early, giving them an edge by following the footprints of well-informed market participants before the broader market reacts.
To get started, simply enter a ticker symbol in the search bar above and click "Scan Flow" to view current options activity across all available expirations for that stock. The scanner displays call and put volume, open interest, implied volatility, and notional values for the most active contracts, giving you a comprehensive overview of where money is flowing. Pay close attention to strikes with a high Vol/OI ratio, as these represent unusual activity where new positions are being aggressively opened, and look for contracts with large notional values that indicate significant capital commitment. The scanner automatically highlights unusual activity in a dedicated section, making it easy to spot the most actionable setups without manually sifting through hundreds of individual contracts.