//new
Main Menu > Analysis > Options Analysis > Open Interest
Last Updated: 9:15 AM 09 APR

person You are not logged in! 😜 Please Login to explore options analysis.

Open Interest

Watch here, How to use Open Interest?

What is Open Interest?

Open Interest is the total number of open deals in the market, showing how many contracts for buying or selling assets are still active and haven’t been settled yet.

Importance of Open Interest

Open Interest is important for several reasons:

  • Market Liquidity : High Open Interest generally indicates a liquid market, making it easier to buy or sell contracts without significantly impacting prices.
  • Price Trends : Changes in Open Interest can help traders gauge the strength of a price trend. Rising Open Interest with price movement suggests a strong trend, while divergences may signal a trend reversal.
  • Confirmation : It can be used to confirm the validity of price movements. For instance, a price increase accompanied by rising Open Interest adds credibility to the upward move.
  • Trading Volume : Open Interest helps differentiate between new positions and closing positions, as opposed to trading volume, which only reflects the number of contracts traded.
  • Options Trading : In options markets, high Open Interest at specific strike prices can indicate potential support or resistance levels.
  • Market Sentiment : Open Interest can provide insights into market sentiment. For example, a rising Open Interest along with a price decline might suggest bearish sentiment.
  • Risk Management : Traders and investors use Open Interest data to assess the level of risk associated with certain assets or positions.

Overall, monitoring Open Interest can help traders make informed decisions, understand market dynamics, and identify potential trading opportunities. However, it is crucial to use Open Interest in conjunction with other indicators and analysis tools for a comprehensive understanding of the market.

Interpretation of Open Interest Data

Let's interpret Nifty Live Open Interest from a seller's perspective

TalkOptions provides a graphical representation of Open Interest of all strikes. Open Interest analysis can help traders to find the Support and Resistance levels and helps to analyse the market trend and take action accordingly.

If at any strike PUT OI is highest then it considers as the Support level of Nifty If at any strike CALL OI is highest then it considers as the Resistance level of Nifty

If PUT Open Interest is more and is increasing, it means the market can move higher and traders can take a Bullish view of the Market from the put seller’s perspective.

If CALL Open Interest is more and is increasing, it means the market can go lower side and traders can take a Bearish view of the Market from the call seller's perspective.

Using the above example,
Nifty 18700 strike has 1.02 crore PUT OI (Open Interest), the highest in the chart.

It means 18700 is a Support level for Nifty.
So here, as PUT OI is more, traders can go Bullish in the market at this particular level.

Nifty 18800 strike has 98 lakhs PUT OI (Open Interest), the second highest. It will also act as immediate support for Nifty.

Nifty 18900 strike has 47 lakhs CALL OI (Open Interest), which means 18900 is an immediate Resistance for Nifty.

Nifty 19000 strike has 64 lakhs CALL OI (Open Interest), the highest in the chart.

It means 18900 is a strong Resistance for Nifty.
So here, as CALL OI is more, traders can go Bearish in the market at that particular level.

On the Talkoptions website, you get not only INDEX Open Interest but also F&O Stocks Open Interest you can see.

How to Calculate Open Interest?

Open Interest reflects market sentiment by indicating the number of active positions in options or futures contracts, helping traders gauge bullish or bearish views and potential market direction.

Features of Open Interest on TalkOptions

  • The bar chart displays Open Interest for Nifty Index and F&O Stocks.
  • Helps identify Support and Resistance levels visually.
  • Easily compare Open Interest at different strike prices.
  • Analyzes market sentiment for traders' decision-making.
  • Provides data for 10, 20, and all strikes.
  • A user-friendly tool for Open Interest analysis.

Traders can create a watchlist comprising their preferred stocks, allowing them to monitor them on a daily basis.
To add or remove stocks from this watchlist, traders simply need to search for the desired stock and click on the "+" symbol.
Additionally, traders can view the cumulative Open Interest (OI) for both Call and Put options displayed at the bottom of the graphical chart representation.

Watch here, How to use Open Interest?

What is Change in Open Interest?

Change in Open Interest shows the overall change in the number of new contracts traded for a particular financial product. It tells us how active the market is and can give hints about potential price movements.

Importance of Change in Open Interest

Here's the importance of Change in Open Interest specifically for traders, presented in bullet points:

  • Market Participation : Reveals the level of interest and engagement in a particular asset, helping traders gauge the market's activity.
  • Price Direction : Provides hints about potential price trends and helps traders identify bullish or bearish market sentiments.
  • Timing Entries and Exits : Traders can use changes in open interest to time their entry and exit points in the market.
  • Identifying Breakouts : Significant increases in open interest can signal potential breakout opportunities.
  • Risk Management : Helps traders assess the level of risk associated with a trade by understanding the popularity of a particular contract.
  • Options Trading Strategies : Useful for options traders as it can reveal the popularity of specific options contracts and help design appropriate strategies.

By monitoring changes in open interest, traders can gain valuable insights into market sentiment and make more informed trading decisions.

Interpretation of Change in OI Data

Change in Open Interest is a crucial tool to understand market trends. It tells us how many new contracts are being created or closed for a particular financial product. Open Interest is never constant; it changes as traders enter or exit positions.
When sellers are optimistic about a stock/index, they engage in "Put writing," which means they sell Put options. On the other hand, if they are pessimistic, they do "Call writing," selling Call options.
Here's an example to illustrate its importance: At 11 AM, the Nifty 18700 Put writing is 10 lakhs, and Call writing is 12 lakhs. Traders may interpret this as a bearish signal for the 18700 level.
However, at 2 PM, if Put writing increases to 20 lakhs and Call writing falls to 6 lakhs, it indicates that big traders are selling more Puts, suggesting they are confident the market will rise. The 18700 level now becomes a strong support level.
Our TalkOptions website provides a time chart displaying Open Interest changes for all strikes within a specific period. This real-time data enables traders to analyze market movements and make more informed decisions.
Monitoring Change in Open Interest helps traders gauge market sentiment, identify potential trends, and validate price movements. It gives insights into how institutional players, often referred to as "big money," are positioning themselves, aiding traders in understanding where the market might be headed.

How to Calculate Change in Open Interest

Change in Open Interest is the difference between the current total number of open contracts and the previous session's total, indicating new market activity.

Watch here, How to use Open Interest?

What is Put Call Ratio?

Put-Call Ratio is a financial indicator that compares the total number of traded Put options to the total number of traded Call options, used to gauge market sentiment and potential price trends.

Importance of Put Call Ratio

Here are the key points highlighting the importance of Put-Call Ratio for traders:

  • Market Sentiment : Reflects investors' overall sentiment, indicating bullish or bearish views on the market.
  • Contrarian Indicator : Helps identify potential market reversals when the ratio reaches extreme levels.
  • Overbought/Oversold Signals : Indicates overbought or oversold conditions, guiding traders in adjusting their strategies.

Interpretation of Put Call Ratio

The Put-Call Ratio (PCR) is like a mood indicator for the market, showing how investors feel about it. It’s calculated by dividing the total number of Put options by the total number of Call options for a specific stock/index.
When the PCR is above 1, it means more people are buying Put options, indicating a higher level of bearish sentiment.
On the other hand, when the PCR is below 1, it means more people are buying Call options, suggesting a higher level of bullish sentiment.
Let’s say a trader named Mr. Rahul wants to check market sentiment using the Put-Call Ratio. If there are 1300 Put options and 1500 Call options:
PCR = 1300 (Put OI) / 1500 (Call OI) = 0.87
Since the PCR is below 1, it indicates a bullish sentiment. In simple terms, it means many investors are expecting prices to rise. Based on this analysis, Mr. Rahul might consider taking bullish trades.
Using the Put-Call Ratio, traders can get insights into what the majority of investors are thinking, helping them make better trading decisions based on market sentiment.

How to Calculate Put Call Ratio?

Put Call Ratio is calculated by dividing the total open interest of Put options by the total open interest of Call options for a specific financial product.

Watch here, How to use Open Interest?

What is Live Max Pain?

Max Pain is a term used in options trading to describe the price level where option buyers would experience the maximum financial loss (pain) if the options expired worthless. It is a theoretical concept that helps traders and investors understand the potential impact of option expiration on the underlying asset price.

How to Understand Max Pain?

To understand Max Pain, look at the option strike price where the most people hold contracts (both Call and Put options). This point suggests where traders might face the most loss if options expire. It helps predict possible price movements near option expiration, but remember it's just a theory and not a sure thing. Consider other market factors too when making trading decisions.

Interpretation of Live Max Pain

Let's interpret Live Max Pain from a buyer's perspective
There are 2 types of Options Traders - Option Buyers and Option Sellers. Max Pain is where Option buyers will make a maximum loss and Option Sellers will make a maximum profit.
When the market price of the Index/Stocks aligns with the Max Pain point, it implies that a significant number of options held by options buyers would expire out of the money, resulting in the loss of their premium. As a buyer, if the market price reaches the Max Pain point, it may indicate that the options you hold will expire worthless.
For buyers, knowing the Max Pain point can give an idea of the price level where their options are less likely to be profitable.

Options Max Pain Chart

An Options Max Pain chart displays the strike price where option buyers would face maximum loss and option sellers could make maximum profit, helping traders assess potential price levels for an underlying asset.

expand_less