OI Explorer
Open interest by strike and expiry: where positions are stacked and which levels they may defend.
- Open interest by strike
- Changes that tell a story
- Levels for the chart
The question it answers
Where are the big positions sitting?
Overview
What is OI Explorer on MrChart?
OI Explorer shows open interest, the number of options contracts still open, and how it changed since the session before. The market-wide view ranks the largest builds and unwinds, so you can see which contracts gained or lost the most open positions. The data is published each morning for the previous session.
Search one ticker to see its open interest by strike and by expiry, calls against puts, with the current price marked. Strikes that hold a lot of contracts are often where traders and dealers are positioned, so they are useful levels to know. This is context for study, not a promise that price will react there.
In the platform
A closer look at OI Explorer
What you get
Why use OI Explorer
Open interest by strike
See the strikes that hold the most contracts for any expiry.
Changes that tell a story
Follow how open interest grew or shrank since the last session.
Levels for the chart
Heavy strikes often act as magnets or barriers, and the page marks them.
How it works
How to use OI Explorer in three steps
- 01
Choose the date
Open the latest publication or an earlier date, and order the list by the largest increases or the largest decreases.
- 02
Read the changes
Compare prior open interest with current open interest for each contract, in contracts and in percent.
- 03
Zoom to one ticker
Search a symbol for open interest by strike and by expiry, then select a row to open that contract.
Who it helps
Where it fits in your day
Finding where positions are stacking
See which strikes of a stock hold the most contracts for the expiry you follow.
Spotting new interest
Look for contracts whose open interest grew strongly overnight, then check the live tape to see how they traded.
Marking levels for study
Note the heavy strikes of a ticker and place them next to the price chart as reference levels.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is open interest in options?
Open interest is the number of options contracts that are still open, meaning they have not been closed, exercised or expired. It is counted per contract and updated once a day.
What is the difference between open interest and volume?
Volume counts how many contracts traded during a session, while open interest counts how many are still open afterwards. A busy day can add to open interest or close it down.
Why is open interest published once a day?
Open interest is settled after the session ends. OI Explorer shows each morning's publication, which reflects the session before.
See it on your own screen
Create a free account and open it in the platform. MrChart is an analytics and education platform. It does not give buy or sell recommendations or investment advice.