XLU max pain, gamma exposure (GEX) & options open interest
As of close · rank #36 by open interest · 1,404 sessions of history since Dec 1, 2020
XLU's nearest-expiration max pain is 40.50 for 2026-10-23, its GEX flip is 39.48, net GEX is 217,289,813, its put/call open-interest ratio is 1.57. These are whole-chain derived aggregates as of Oct 16, 2026 close.
XLU max pain and GEX snapshot
End-of-day snapshot for . Nearest-expiration max pain uses the expiry shown on its card; GEX uses the whole chain. Missing values are unavailable, not zero.
Prices are in US dollars per share. Net GEX is modeled dollar-delta change per $1 underlying move. Max pain minimizes aggregate intrinsic payout for that expiration; it is not a closing-price forecast. Signed GEX uses calls positive and puts negative, a model convention rather than observed dealer inventory. The flip is a confirmed zero crossing; walls locate side-specific concentrations, not guaranteed support or resistance.
Learn how to read the max pain payout example, GEX chart, gamma flip and walls, and open interest versus trading volume.
Advanced options analysis
Public aggregate analysis from the dated chain, normalized where possible for comparison across tickers. Catalyst intensity measures unusual pricing and activity; it does not identify an event, predict direction, or establish that an investment is attractive.
XLU closed 0.9% below its gamma max of 42.58. It is 3.1% above the delta neutral price of 40.88. That is a fresh cross: the previous close was on the other side of gamma max. Total open interest is 2,662,285, -8.1% versus the previous session. Its options catalyst-intensity score is 36.8 out of 100. What gamma max means · What delta neutral means
Call versus put open interest changes
Growth compares outstanding contracts on each side. A positive growth gap favors calls; a negative gap favors puts. Standardized surprises compare each measure with its own prior history. These describe the OI balance, not IV skew or buying direction.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Call OI change, 1 session | -217,593 contracts · -17.4% |
| Put OI change, 1 session | -16,259 contracts · -1.0% |
| Call minus put OI growth, 1 session | -16.4 pp |
| Call OI change, 5 sessions | -175,087 contracts · -14.5% |
| Put OI change, 5 sessions | +21,716 contracts · +1.4% |
| Call minus put OI growth, 5 sessions | -15.8 pp |
| Daily call OI change surprise | -5.07σ (252 prior changes) |
| Daily put OI change surprise | -0.32σ (252 prior changes) |
| Daily call-minus-put growth surprise | -2.60σ (252 prior changes) |
History
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Analysis visualizations
Daily ticker aggregates through 2026-10-16. The max pain curve pools all listed expirations; individual contracts are outside the public dataset.
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Aggregate IV history
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What followed prior gamma-max crosses?
Each historical path starts at 0% on the cross date and follows the close for ten subsequent trading sessions. Cohorts use the same direction as labelled and require gamma max to be within 10% of the close on both crossing sessions.
Crosses below gamma max 12 completed Day +10 paths · latest Oct 16, 2026 fresh cross
| Horizon | n | Median | Middle 50% | Above zero | Nominal ≥90% median interval | Confidence floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day +1 | 13 | -0.2% | -0.5% to -0.0% | 15% | -0.5% to -0.0% | -0.0% |
| Day +2 | 13 | -0.0% | -0.6% to +0.8% | 46% | -0.6% to +0.8% | 0.0% |
| Day +3 | 12 | +0.5% | -0.5% to +1.4% | 50% | -1.0% to +1.7% | 0.0% |
| Day +4 | 12 | -0.2% | -0.9% to +1.8% | 42% | -1.0% to +2.2% | 0.0% |
| Day +5 | 12 | -0.1% | -1.0% to +1.5% | 50% | -1.3% to +1.5% | 0.0% |
| Day +6 | 12 | +0.5% | -0.9% to +2.6% | 58% | -1.3% to +2.9% | 0.0% |
| Day +7 | 12 | +0.1% | -1.7% to +1.9% | 50% | -1.9% to +3.0% | 0.0% |
| Day +8 | 12 | -0.2% | -1.8% to +2.4% | 50% | -2.4% to +3.8% | 0.0% |
| Day +9 | 12 | -0.4% | -1.6% to +2.6% | 42% | -2.0% to +3.5% | 0.0% |
| Day +10 | 12 | -0.3% | -1.2% to +2.1% | 42% | -2.0% to +2.7% | 0.0% |
Crosses above gamma max 12 completed Day +10 paths · latest Oct 15, 2026
| Horizon | n | Median | Middle 50% | Above zero | Nominal ≥90% median interval | Confidence floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day +1 | 14 | +0.7% | +0.4% to +0.8% | 79% | +0.4% to +0.8% | +0.4% |
| Day +2 | 13 | +0.5% | -0.1% to +0.7% | 69% | -0.1% to +0.7% | 0.0% |
| Day +3 | 13 | +0.2% | -0.1% to +1.0% | 69% | -0.1% to +1.0% | 0.0% |
| Day +4 | 12 | +0.8% | +0.2% to +1.4% | 75% | -0.6% to +1.7% | 0.0% |
| Day +5 | 12 | +1.4% | +0.7% to +1.8% | 83% | +0.5% to +2.0% | +0.5% |
| Day +6 | 12 | +1.0% | -0.4% to +2.8% | 58% | -0.6% to +3.0% | 0.0% |
| Day +7 | 12 | +0.9% | -0.6% to +3.4% | 50% | -0.7% to +3.5% | 0.0% |
| Day +8 | 12 | +0.7% | -0.4% to +2.8% | 58% | -0.6% to +3.0% | 0.0% |
| Day +9 | 12 | +1.0% | +0.2% to +2.5% | 83% | +0.2% to +2.7% | +0.2% |
| Day +10 | 12 | +0.8% | +0.0% to +2.3% | 75% | -0.2% to +2.9% | 0.0% |
Returns are close-to-close after the labelled number of subsequent trading sessions. The confidence floor is the closest-to-zero bound of the order-statistic median interval; it is zero when that interval spans zero. Its coverage is nominally at least 90% under independent observations. Historical paths can overlap, so the interval and floor are descriptive uncertainty guides rather than formal coverage guarantees. Historical, not a forecast.
Last 252 sessions
| Sessions closed above gamma max | 1% |
| Gamma max crosses | 5 |
| Delta neutral crosses | 22 |
| Prior-year sessions closer to gamma max | 3.6% of 252 |
| Prior-year sessions closer to delta neutral | 84.1% of 252 |
| Open interest percentile (1y) | 96th |
| Daily open interest change versus prior year | -2.38σ (-233,852 contracts; 252 prior changes) |
| Open interest change, 5 sessions | -5.4% |
| Open interest change, 21 sessions | +36.6% |
| History available | Dec 1, 2020 → Oct 16, 2026 |
Recent crosses
- closed below gamma max at 42.21 vs 42.58 (-0.9%)
- closed above gamma max at 41.65 vs 41.51 (+0.3%)
- closed below gamma max at 41.72 vs 41.74 (-0.0%)
- closed above gamma max at 41.87 vs 41.71 (+0.4%)
- closed above delta neutral at 41.16 vs 40.18 (+2.4%)
- closed below delta neutral at 43.77 vs 43.91 (-0.3%)
- closed above delta neutral at 44.02 vs 43.90 (+0.3%)
- closed below delta neutral at 44.18 vs 44.20 (-0.0%)
- closed above delta neutral at 44.04 vs 43.83 (+0.5%)
- closed below delta neutral at 44.66 vs 44.76 (-0.2%)
In today's screens
Neighbours by open interest
Cite or embed this snapshot
Share the dated 1600×840 image or cite this canonical page. The card contains public derived aggregates, not contract-level quotes.
Canonical source: https://halfonadouble.com/stock/XLU
Questions people ask about XLU
What is XLU's max pain for the nearest expiration?
As of Oct 16, 2026 close, nearest-expiration max pain is 40.50 for the 2026-10-23 expiration. It is a payout-minimizing strike for one expiration. An all-expiration pooled value is a different comparison, and neither establishes where the underlying will close. Max pain definition and worked payout example.
Our 2025 max-pain study compares historical Thursday levels with Friday underlying closes and an unchanged-price baseline. Its scope and results are separate from this current ticker snapshot.
What do XLU's gamma exposure and gamma flip show?
Signed net GEX is 217,289,813 as of Oct 16, 2026 close. The confirmed GEX flip is 39.48. These aggregate model outputs use calls positive and puts negative. Their sign does not identify dealers' actual positions or predict the next move. How to interpret GEX, gamma flip and walls.
Where is XLU's gamma max today?
As of Oct 16, 2026, the gamma max for XLU is 42.58, +0.9% from the 42.21 close. Gamma max is the underlying price at which the summed gamma of every open contract is largest; how it is computed and why it matters.
Is XLU above or below its delta neutral price?
XLU closed above delta neutral: 42.21 against a delta neutral price of 40.88. The delta neutral price is where the summed delta of the whole chain is zero; the definition.
How much open interest does XLU have?
2,662,285 contracts of open interest across 663 listed contracts on Oct 16, 2026, -8.1% versus the previous session. What open interest measures.
Levels are recomputed after every trading day from licensed end-of-day options data; only derived aggregates are published. Methodology · Data and licence · Not investment advice.