Options & short interest

New to these numbers? Start with Options 101. Readings here are educational patterns — not trade recommendations.

UNH

UnitedHealth Group Inc.NYSE

optionable

$421.55

-1.07%

Close · data as of 2026-07-21

Leans bullish

Bullish bias on 1 panel vs our rules — a positioning pattern, not a buy call. · from Indicator Breakdown

Price & volume

~60 trading days · hover a day
Max PainNOW $421.55

Price vs short-volume share

Same session dates. Left = close · right = short ÷ total volume %. Overlay for pattern reading only — not a forecast.

— Close— Short share %
$432$35364%22%04-2307-20 · 60 days

Open interest map

Call (green) versus put (terracotta) open interest — the same inputs behind Max Pain, drawn so the mix is easier to see.

Call vs put OI by expiry

  • 2026-07-24D-3focus22.9K / 18.2KΣ 41.1K
  • 2026-07-31D-1010.8K / 7.1KΣ 17.9K
  • 2026-08-07D-172.2K / 2.6KΣ 4.7K
  • 2026-08-14D-241.7K / 1.1KΣ 2.7K

Near-spot strikes · 2026-07-24 (spot $421.55)

405
407.5
410
412.5
415
417.5 *
420 *
422.5 *
425 *
427.5
430
432.5
435
437.5

Left = calls · right = puts · * ≈ at-the-money

What call and put options are

Call — a contract that gains value if the stock rises above the strike by expiry. Heavy call open interest means many contracts are still open on that upside side.

Put — a contract that gains value if the stock falls below the strike by expiry. Heavy put open interest means many contracts are still open on that downside side.

Open interest is outstanding contracts, not a buy/sell recommendation. Color bars here only show how that interest is split.

Max Pain

$425

Neutral
Spot $421.55Max Pain $425.00 · 0.8% above
S
M

S = spot · M = max pain · gap is educational distance, not a target

UNH's Max Pain for the 2026-07-24 expiry is $425.0, 0.8% above the current price. As expiration nears (D-3), dealer hedging flows may exert pressure toward this level. Confidence is higher near expiration.

What this doesn't tell you

Does not incorporate news or earnings surprises. Reliability falls with low open interest or distant expiries.

Put / Call

0.56

Neutral
Calls 64%P/C 0.56 · avg 0.56Puts 36%

White tick = 3-month average mix · positioning pattern only

Put/Call ratio 0.56 — higher than the recent average (0.56). This is typically read as a balanced positioning pattern; extreme readings are also sometimes interpreted contrarian. Educational context only for UNH.

What this doesn't tell you

Crowding can reverse; extreme readings are sometimes read contrarian.

Unusual activity

6.7×

Bullish biasEarnings D-98 · 2026-10-27

UNH 442.5 call showed about 6.7× volume versus open interest. Expiry D-3, roughly 5.0% out-of-the-money — a pattern often associated with hedging activity (earnings D-98). Not a trade recommendation.

What this doesn't tell you

Cannot confirm buyer vs seller with certainty from public prints alone.

IV Rank

Info

IV history for UNH is still being collected. Rank/percentile become more reliable after roughly 59 more trading day(s) of snapshots.

What this doesn't tell you

Not a directional forecast — a relative premium-level gauge.

Daily short volume

Not the same as Short % of Float. This is FINRA's daily count of shares marked short in reported volume — a flow snapshot, not a position total.

~60 sessions · hover a day

Latest short share of volume 45.3%

Short volume (shares)Short ÷ total volume (%)64%

Bars = short volume · line = short ÷ total % · FINRA Reg SHO daily files · educational only

Open full short-interest page →

What it is

  • Rule-based readings of public options and short-interest data
  • The same thresholds applied across the fixed 200-name universe
  • An educational starting point that shows its math and limits

What it isn't

  • Buy/sell recommendations or price predictions
  • Real-time short interest (FINRA publishes biweekly)
  • A substitute for your own research or a licensed adviser

Options carry significant risk, including the potential loss of the entire amount invested. Short selling can involve unlimited loss potential. For methods and thresholds see Methodology. — Asset Trend Reports Team

For education and information only — not investment advice. Disclaimer · Methodology.