Max Pain Stocks — Closest to Their Max Pain Strike
Max pain is the strike where the least option value pays out at expiration. These are the names trading nearest to it — where open interest is densest right around the current price. Ranked from the full open-interest ladder across every listed expiry, every trading day.
October 23, 2026 · 805 symbols met the liquidity bar of 50,000 open contracts · showing 100
| # | Symbol | Price | Max pain | Distance | Ticker analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | XLY Financial Services | $115.01 | $115.00 | +0.01% | Analysis |
| 2 | CRSP Healthcare | $49.99 | $50.00 | -0.02% | Analysis |
| 3 | KNX Industrials | $62.52 | $62.50 | +0.03% | Analysis |
| 4 | BCS Financial Services | $22.01 | $22.00 | +0.04% | Analysis |
| 5 | NVAX Healthcare | $9.99 | $10.00 | -0.10% | Analysis |
| 6 | CSCO Technology | $104.89 | $105.00 | -0.10% | Analysis |
| 7 | RH Consumer Cyclical | $140.15 | $140.00 | +0.11% | Analysis |
| 8 | SPY Financial Services | $763.96 | $765.00 | -0.14% | Analysis |
| 9 | AFRM Technology | $72.40 | $72.50 | -0.14% | Analysis |
| 10 | EFA Financial Services | $103.15 | $103.00 | +0.15% | Analysis |
| 11 | PCG Utilities | $12.98 | $13.00 | -0.15% | Analysis |
| 12 | VIX Index | $19.03 | $19.00 | +0.16% | Analysis |
| 13 | EMB Financial Services | $91.85 | $92.00 | -0.16% | Analysis |
| 14 | AES Utilities | $14.97 | $15.00 | -0.20% | Analysis |
| 15 | CRK Energy | $13.97 | $14.00 | -0.21% | Analysis |
| 16 | GOOGL Technology | $324.22 | $325.00 | -0.24% | Analysis |
| 17 | LQD Financial Services | $104.28 | $104.00 | +0.27% | Analysis |
| 18 | ZTO Industrials | $20.06 | $20.00 | +0.30% | Analysis |
| 19 | DECK Consumer Cyclical | $85.28 | $85.00 | +0.33% | Analysis |
| 20 | UUP Financial Services | $28.90 | $29.00 | -0.34% | Analysis |
| 21 | GM Consumer Cyclical | $77.21 | $77.50 | -0.37% | Analysis |
| 22 | IYR Financial Services | $98.37 | $98.00 | +0.38% | Analysis |
| 23 | GAP Consumer Cyclical | $22.91 | $23.00 | -0.39% | Analysis |
| 24 | EWJ Financial Services | $94.60 | $95.00 | -0.42% | Analysis |
| 25 | TLN Utilities | $331.42 | $330.00 | +0.43% | Analysis |
| 26 | ERO Basic Materials | $30.13 | $30.00 | +0.43% | Analysis |
| 27 | HIMS Healthcare | $29.13 | $29.00 | +0.45% | Analysis |
| 28 | XSP Index | $766.34 | $770.00 | -0.47% | Analysis |
| 29 | GIS Consumer Defensive | $35.18 | $35.00 | +0.51% | Analysis |
| 30 | MIR Industrials | $14.92 | $15.00 | -0.53% | Analysis |
| 31 | MELI Consumer Cyclical | $1,824.95 | $1,815.00 | +0.55% | Analysis |
| 32 | MS Financial Services | $183.97 | $185.00 | -0.56% | Analysis |
| 33 | KRE Financial Services | $72.41 | $72.00 | +0.57% | Analysis |
| 34 | LYB Basic Materials | $65.37 | $65.00 | +0.57% | Analysis |
| 35 | TSM Technology | $412.35 | $410.00 | +0.57% | Analysis |
| 36 | HAL Energy | $33.19 | $33.00 | +0.58% | Analysis |
| 37 | INTC Technology | $85.49 | $85.00 | +0.58% | Analysis |
| 38 | BROS Consumer Cyclical | $41.75 | $42.00 | -0.59% | Analysis |
| 39 | WFC Financial Services | $83.01 | $82.50 | +0.62% | Analysis |
| 40 | FCX Basic Materials | $64.59 | $65.00 | -0.63% | Analysis |
| 41 | TQQQ Financial Services | $66.42 | $66.00 | +0.64% | Analysis |
| 42 | ASX Technology | $37.74 | $37.50 | +0.64% | Analysis |
| 43 | CMCSA Communication Services | $22.84 | $23.00 | -0.70% | Analysis |
| 44 | SA Basic Materials | $24.82 | $25.00 | -0.72% | Analysis |
| 45 | CRCL Financial Services | $86.62 | $86.00 | +0.72% | Analysis |
| 46 | MU Technology | $856.49 | $850.00 | +0.76% | Analysis |
| 47 | O Real Estate | $57.06 | $57.50 | -0.77% | Analysis |
| 48 | COF Financial Services | $203.43 | $205.00 | -0.77% | Analysis |
| 49 | HON Industrials | $218.31 | $220.00 | -0.77% | Analysis |
| 50 | SAN Financial Services | $12.90 | $13.00 | -0.77% | Analysis |
| 51 | MAGS Financial Services | $70.45 | $71.00 | -0.78% | Analysis |
| 52 | XHB Financial Services | $99.20 | $100.00 | -0.80% | Analysis |
| 53 | NVS Healthcare | $156.27 | $155.00 | +0.82% | Analysis |
| 54 | ANET Technology | $171.07 | $172.50 | -0.83% | Analysis |
| 55 | EWG Financial Services | $41.35 | $41.00 | +0.85% | Analysis |
| 56 | HPE Technology | $55.47 | $55.00 | +0.85% | Analysis |
| 57 | IAU Financial Services | $75.66 | $75.00 | +0.88% | Analysis |
| 58 | SLB Energy | $49.55 | $50.00 | -0.90% | Analysis |
| 59 | WMB Energy | $70.63 | $70.00 | +0.90% | Analysis |
| 60 | NXPI Technology | $237.79 | $240.00 | -0.92% | Analysis |
| 61 | TMF Financial Services | $29.78 | $29.50 | +0.95% | Analysis |
| 62 | EWT Financial Services | $103.99 | $105.00 | -0.96% | Analysis |
| 63 | GS Financial Services | $891.30 | $900.00 | -0.97% | Analysis |
| 64 | JEPQ Financial Services | $58.42 | $59.00 | -0.98% | Analysis |
| 65 | JBS Consumer Defensive | $12.37 | $12.50 | -1.04% | Analysis |
| 66 | TTWO Technology | $207.81 | $210.00 | -1.04% | Analysis |
| 67 | MCD Consumer Cyclical | $252.63 | $250.00 | +1.05% | Analysis |
| 68 | ENB Energy | $48.01 | $47.50 | +1.07% | Analysis |
| 69 | UNG Financial Services | $9.89 | $10.00 | -1.10% | Analysis |
| 70 | ARCC Financial Services | $18.79 | $19.00 | -1.10% | Analysis |
| 71 | LUV Industrials | $42.03 | $42.50 | -1.11% | Analysis |
| 72 | T Communication Services | $22.74 | $23.00 | -1.13% | Analysis |
| 73 | HYG Financial Services | $77.10 | $78.00 | -1.15% | Analysis |
| 74 | TNA Financial Services | $56.34 | $57.00 | -1.16% | Analysis |
| 75 | AMZN Consumer Cyclical | $250.38 | $247.50 | +1.16% | Analysis |
| 76 | IWM Financial Services | $276.67 | $280.00 | -1.19% | Analysis |
| 77 | AGNC Real Estate | $8.89 | $9.00 | -1.22% | Analysis |
| 78 | CORN Financial Services | $17.78 | $18.00 | -1.22% | Analysis |
| 79 | EQT Energy | $54.67 | $54.00 | +1.24% | Analysis |
| 80 | SNY Healthcare | $41.96 | $42.50 | -1.27% | Analysis |
| 81 | BITO Financial Services | $10.86 | $11.00 | -1.27% | Analysis |
| 82 | XLK Financial Services | $182.34 | $180.00 | +1.30% | Analysis |
| 83 | GOOG Technology | $320.76 | $325.00 | -1.30% | Analysis |
| 84 | UBS Financial Services | $46.87 | $47.50 | -1.33% | Analysis |
| 85 | IEF Financial Services | $91.20 | $90.00 | +1.33% | Analysis |
| 86 | INDA Financial Services | $47.36 | $48.00 | -1.33% | Analysis |
| 87 | STNE Technology | $11.15 | $11.00 | +1.36% | Analysis |
| 88 | COUR Consumer Defensive | $5.07 | $5.00 | +1.40% | Analysis |
| 89 | BEKE Real Estate | $17.24 | $17.00 | +1.41% | Analysis |
| 90 | FEZ Financial Services | $65.06 | $66.00 | -1.42% | Analysis |
| 91 | NVO Healthcare | $39.43 | $40.00 | -1.43% | Analysis |
| 92 | CLX Consumer Defensive | $88.66 | $90.00 | -1.49% | Analysis |
| 93 | RSP Financial Services | $218.22 | $215.00 | +1.50% | Analysis |
| 94 | NEXT Energy | $5.91 | $6.00 | -1.50% | Analysis |
| 95 | ADI Technology | $385.76 | $380.00 | +1.52% | Analysis |
| 96 | UPS Industrials | $101.52 | $100.00 | +1.52% | Analysis |
| 97 | SGI Consumer Defensive | $65.99 | $65.00 | +1.52% | Analysis |
| 98 | SYM Industrials | $40.36 | $41.00 | -1.56% | Analysis |
| 99 | MRVL Technology | $223.47 | $220.00 | +1.58% | Analysis |
| 100 | XIFR Utilities | $9.84 | $10.00 | -1.60% | Analysis |
Distance is spot against the max pain strike: positive means the stock trades above it, negative below. A name can sit on its max pain strike simply because the price happens to land on a round number, which is why this list only ranks symbols carrying at least 50,000 open contracts across the chain — 805 of the 1,618 we compute max pain for today.
Farthest from max pain
The other end of the same ranking. These names have moved a long way from where their open interest is concentrated — usually because something happened that the existing positioning was not built around.
How this list is built
What max pain measures
For every listed strike, add up what all open calls and puts would pay out if the stock settled exactly there. Max pain is the strike where that total is smallest. It is a description of where open interest sits today, and it moves as that open interest changes.
What “closest” does and does not imply
A stock near its max pain strike is not a stock that will stay there. Price converges on these levels often enough to be worth knowing and diverges from them often enough that trading the distance alone is not an edge. This is a map of positioning, not a forecast.
Which symbols qualify
We compute max pain for 1,618 symbols each session, from 4,880 scored. This ranking narrows that to names above $5.00 carrying at least 50,000 open contracts, because a thin chain can land on its max pain strike by coincidence.
Where the numbers come from
Open interest published by the exchanges, read across every listed expiry after the close. Each row is the same calculation the individual ticker page shows, so the number here and the number one click away are always the same number.
The most-watched names
The tickers people look up most often, whether or not they rank today.
Other rankings
Go deeper on any name
Every symbol above has a full options analysis page, with its gamma walls, max pain, IV rank, option chain and put/call ratio alongside it.