H

HYGiShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

Options Analysis Report
AUM $16.4B|ARCX
2026-08-28$79.74
BEARISH
Analysis: 2026-08-27 EOD data
1Y -1.4%YTD -1.2%7D +0.2%
376,557
30D
±2.6%
12%

HYG Options Overview

IV is low with bearish flow and unusual activity. Conditions favor option buyers.

REWARDS

RISK ANALYSIS

6.2VALUESENTIMENTACTIVITYLIQUIDITYTIMING

Snowflake Analysis

Favorable conditions for option buyers

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HYG Gamma Walls

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HYG Hedge Radar

Neither score is at an extreme today. Neither axis is a forecast — this is where HYG sits on protection cost vs. fragility today.

Protection is priced in the fair band (5.2) — options are pricing vol 150% above what the stock has actually been realizing, and near-dated vol is priced 98% above far-dated, measured against this name's own rolling 21-trading-day realized moves (483 overlapping windows). Fragility reads neutral (4.72): it is trading 1% above its hedge wall on a wall graded HIGH for reliability, and its realized-vol regime is stable.

Protection cost
5.20/ 10fair
Basis: cross_sectional
Fragility
4.72/ 10neutral
Basis: per_ticker

Value

Is IV priced right?

7.0
ExpensiveCheap

Measures whether options are cheap, fair, or rich relative to historical and peer

levels.

Risk Checks5/9 checks passed
≤35%

IV Rank 1.6% — cheap vs history

<1.05x

IV/HV 2.86x — IV premium over HV

Sector Relative≤50%

Sector percentile 3% — below sector median

<1.1x

Front/Back 1.91x — backwardation

<1.25x

Put/Call IV 1.16x — elevated

<80%

ATM IV 7.2% — normal range

<80%

Effective IV 17.9% (ATM 7.2% + spread 5.4% + bias) — excellent value

<3.0%

Total drag 12.61% (spread 5.36% + slippage 7.25%) — high friction

≥5.0

Vega efficiency 0.00 (vega 0.000 / spread 5.36%) — spread drag

Sentiment

Bullish or bearish?

4.4
BearishBullish

Analyzes

,
, and flow direction to determine market bias.

Risk ChecksBullish - Strong signal (Conviction: +27%, Raw: +32%)
|net sentiment| ≥25%

Conviction-weighted: +27% (bullish) — Raw: +32%

≥15%

|OI skew| 54.2% — put-heavy

Same sign, |vol skew| ≥10%

Vol skew -59.4%, OI skew -54.2% — aligned

≥2/3 conditions

0-DTE 1%, far-OTM 15%, avg DTE 30

|change| ≥3%

OI change +0.0% (5d) — stable

|weighted flow| ≥20%

ITM: -18%, ATM: +15%, OTM: +77% — neutral (ITM/ATM divergent)

Sector Relative≤40% or ≥60%

Sector P/C percentile 96% — very bearish vs sector

Activity

Unusual activity?

5.1
QuietActive

Detects volume surges,

, and unusual options activity that may signal moves.

Risk Checks2/8 checks passed
≥1.5x

Volume 1.2x avg — normal

≥15%

Vol/OI 4.5% — normal turnover

≥2 days

1 day(s) elevated — may be one-day event

≥5%

OI change -15.3% (5d) — unwinding

Sector Relative≥60%

Sector activity percentile 65% — active vs sector

≥30%

Large trade volume 93% — heavy institutional

≥60%

Aggressive execution 54% — patient

≥30

Conviction +27 (bullish) — mixed

Liquidity

Can I trade efficiently?

7.1
IlliquidLiquid

Evaluates

, volume depth, and open interest for trade execution quality.

Risk Checks5/8 checks passed
≤5.0%

Spread 5.4% — wide

≥10,000

OI 8,411,489 — deep

≥500

Volume 376,557/day — active

≤$0.50

$0.27 to cross — cheap

≥5 strikes

0 liquid strikes — limited options

Sector Relative≤40%

Sector spread percentile 27% — tighter than sector

≥100 contracts

Depth 917.5 contracts (bid:347.2 ask:570.3) — deep

<1.0%

Avg slippage 7.25% — poor

Timing

Is now a good time?

7.2
RiskyFavorable

Considers earnings proximity,

, and event calendar for optimal entry timing.

Risk Checks7/9 checks passed
|slope| ≥5%

Slope +91.0% — backwardation

<30 or >70

IV percentile 2% — buyer opportunity

≥10pts kink

IV kink 5.8pts — no clear event

<0.5 or >2.0

θ/ν ratio 1.00 — favors mixed

≥3 expirations

5 liquid expirations — flexible

≥60% (safe)

safe window: No earnings detected

<1.2 ratio

Spread ratio 1.00x — stable

≥25% strength + ≥50% consistency

Flow +27% @ 63% consistency — moderate (bullish)

≥40 composite score

Score 123 (ITM 20% + inst 93%) — HIGH institutional

Directional Strategy Fit

Option Buyers
Long Calls6.2
bullishIV cheap, mixed flow
Long Puts6.6
bearishIV cheap, mixed flow
Premium Sellers
Cash-Secured Put4.9
bullishIV too cheap, mixed flow
Covered Call5.3
bearishIV too cheap, mixed flow

For educational purposes only. Not investment advice.

The Options Desk tracks the move options price into every US earnings report the week of Aug 31, next to how much each stock has actually moved on its past prints — plus the SPY, QQQ and IWM expected ranges and the gamma walls that box them in.