Stocks Closest to Max Pain
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.
September 8, 2026 · 864 symbols met the liquidity bar of 50,000 open contracts · showing 100
| # | Symbol | Price | Max pain | Distance | Ticker analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PPLT Financial Services | $16.50 | $16.50 | +0.00% | Analysis |
| 2 | FDX Industrials | $322.52 | $322.50 | +0.01% | Analysis |
| 3 | NVS Healthcare | $159.99 | $160.00 | -0.01% | Analysis |
| 4 | KMB Consumer Defensive | $104.96 | $105.00 | -0.04% | Analysis |
| 5 | AA Basic Materials | $49.97 | $50.00 | -0.06% | Analysis |
| 6 | IE Technology | $9.99 | $10.00 | -0.10% | Analysis |
| 7 | ARES Financial Services | $140.15 | $140.00 | +0.11% | Analysis |
| 8 | ZS Technology | $169.80 | $170.00 | -0.12% | Analysis |
| 9 | IYR Financial Services | $102.14 | $102.00 | +0.14% | Analysis |
| 10 | XLI Financial Services | $175.27 | $175.00 | +0.15% | Analysis |
| 11 | HBAN Financial Services | $17.03 | $17.00 | +0.18% | Analysis |
| 12 | VOYG Industrials | $33.94 | $34.00 | -0.18% | Analysis |
| 13 | ENB Energy | $50.09 | $50.00 | +0.18% | Analysis |
| 14 | INDA Financial Services | $49.91 | $50.00 | -0.18% | Analysis |
| 15 | DUK Utilities | $120.22 | $120.00 | +0.18% | Analysis |
| 16 | RUT Index | $2,975.65 | $2,970.00 | +0.19% | Analysis |
| 17 | AFRM Technology | $72.35 | $72.50 | -0.21% | Analysis |
| 18 | ETN Industrials | $410.85 | $410.00 | +0.21% | Analysis |
| 19 | GSK Healthcare | $49.89 | $50.00 | -0.22% | Analysis |
| 20 | SPXS Financial Services | $24.44 | $24.50 | -0.24% | Analysis |
| 21 | IEF Financial Services | $92.25 | $92.50 | -0.27% | Analysis |
| 22 | HWM Industrials | $259.27 | $260.00 | -0.28% | Analysis |
| 23 | UUP Financial Services | $28.08 | $28.00 | +0.29% | Analysis |
| 24 | NOK Technology | $10.03 | $10.00 | +0.30% | Analysis |
| 25 | EQT Energy | $55.17 | $55.00 | +0.31% | Analysis |
| 26 | FXI Financial Services | $35.88 | $36.00 | -0.33% | Analysis |
| 27 | SOXS Financial Services | $46.34 | $46.50 | -0.34% | Analysis |
| 28 | RDDT Communication Services | $154.46 | $155.00 | -0.35% | Analysis |
| 29 | UEC Energy | $11.54 | $11.50 | +0.35% | Analysis |
| 30 | KRE Financial Services | $75.27 | $75.00 | +0.36% | Analysis |
| 31 | HYG Financial Services | $79.16 | $79.50 | -0.43% | Analysis |
| 32 | RKT Financial Services | $14.06 | $14.00 | +0.43% | Analysis |
| 33 | RBLX Technology | $43.31 | $43.50 | -0.44% | Analysis |
| 34 | BEKE Real Estate | $17.92 | $18.00 | -0.44% | Analysis |
| 35 | VST Utilities | $149.30 | $150.00 | -0.47% | Analysis |
| 36 | SQQQ Financial Services | $38.18 | $38.00 | +0.47% | Analysis |
| 37 | PGR Financial Services | $218.95 | $220.00 | -0.48% | Analysis |
| 38 | FSK Financial Services | $12.44 | $12.50 | -0.48% | Analysis |
| 39 | FE Utilities | $46.77 | $47.00 | -0.49% | Analysis |
| 40 | XLP Financial Services | $84.58 | $85.00 | -0.49% | Analysis |
| 41 | BIDU Communication Services | $99.47 | $100.00 | -0.53% | Analysis |
| 42 | SLV Financial Services | $59.82 | $59.50 | +0.54% | Analysis |
| 43 | SNAP Communication Services | $5.47 | $5.50 | -0.55% | Analysis |
| 44 | EMB Financial Services | $94.47 | $95.00 | -0.56% | Analysis |
| 45 | CWH Consumer Cyclical | $6.96 | $7.00 | -0.57% | Analysis |
| 46 | VCIT Financial Services | $80.53 | $81.00 | -0.58% | Analysis |
| 47 | AVGO Technology | $357.89 | $360.00 | -0.59% | Analysis |
| 48 | KHC Consumer Defensive | $24.85 | $25.00 | -0.60% | Analysis |
| 49 | TXN Technology | $258.44 | $260.00 | -0.60% | Analysis |
| 50 | DKS Consumer Cyclical | $139.15 | $140.00 | -0.61% | Analysis |
| 51 | CORZ Technology | $17.89 | $18.00 | -0.61% | Analysis |
| 52 | ADI Technology | $362.25 | $360.00 | +0.63% | Analysis |
| 53 | HONA Industrials | $161.01 | $160.00 | +0.63% | Analysis |
| 54 | BTI Consumer Defensive | $55.35 | $55.00 | +0.64% | Analysis |
| 55 | IP Consumer Cyclical | $37.24 | $37.50 | -0.69% | Analysis |
| 56 | CRWV Technology | $89.36 | $90.00 | -0.71% | Analysis |
| 57 | PWR Industrials | $624.41 | $620.00 | +0.71% | Analysis |
| 58 | AAP Consumer Cyclical | $44.18 | $44.50 | -0.72% | Analysis |
| 59 | CCJ Energy | $100.74 | $100.00 | +0.74% | Analysis |
| 60 | QCOM Technology | $168.74 | $170.00 | -0.74% | Analysis |
| 61 | RITM Real Estate | $10.08 | $10.00 | +0.80% | Analysis |
| 62 | ORCL Technology | $158.78 | $157.50 | +0.81% | Analysis |
| 63 | NRG Utilities | $119.02 | $120.00 | -0.82% | Analysis |
| 64 | NLY Real Estate | $22.81 | $23.00 | -0.83% | Analysis |
| 65 | GE Industrials | $337.12 | $340.00 | -0.85% | Analysis |
| 66 | MMM Industrials | $168.56 | $170.00 | -0.85% | Analysis |
| 67 | MP Basic Materials | $54.53 | $55.00 | -0.85% | Analysis |
| 68 | XLC Financial Services | $112.03 | $113.00 | -0.86% | Analysis |
| 69 | FEZ Financial Services | $70.65 | $70.00 | +0.93% | Analysis |
| 70 | SOXX Financial Services | $519.86 | $515.00 | +0.94% | Analysis |
| 71 | NFLX Communication Services | $78.25 | $77.50 | +0.97% | Analysis |
| 72 | PG Consumer Defensive | $146.44 | $145.00 | +0.99% | Analysis |
| 73 | KLAC Technology | $185.60 | $187.50 | -1.01% | Analysis |
| 74 | UBER Technology | $75.76 | $75.00 | +1.01% | Analysis |
| 75 | SLG Real Estate | $55.56 | $55.00 | +1.02% | Analysis |
| 76 | HIMS Healthcare | $27.71 | $28.00 | -1.04% | Analysis |
| 77 | ZTS Healthcare | $75.81 | $75.00 | +1.08% | Analysis |
| 78 | IBM Technology | $234.89 | $237.50 | -1.10% | Analysis |
| 79 | CG Financial Services | $46.97 | $47.50 | -1.12% | Analysis |
| 80 | RKLB Industrials | $64.26 | $65.00 | -1.14% | Analysis |
| 81 | KD Technology | $13.15 | $13.00 | +1.15% | Analysis |
| 82 | AXP Financial Services | $326.16 | $330.00 | -1.16% | Analysis |
| 83 | Z Communication Services | $34.59 | $35.00 | -1.17% | Analysis |
| 84 | IONQ Technology | $39.52 | $40.00 | -1.20% | Analysis |
| 85 | NN Communication Services | $15.18 | $15.00 | +1.20% | Analysis |
| 86 | SOFI Financial Services | $18.22 | $18.00 | +1.22% | Analysis |
| 87 | DIS Communication Services | $105.31 | $104.00 | +1.26% | Analysis |
| 88 | PSKY Communication Services | $10.86 | $11.00 | -1.27% | Analysis |
| 89 | ICLN Financial Services | $17.77 | $18.00 | -1.28% | Analysis |
| 90 | BA Industrials | $212.25 | $215.00 | -1.28% | Analysis |
| 91 | D Utilities | $65.84 | $65.00 | +1.29% | Analysis |
| 92 | CHTR Communication Services | $151.99 | $150.00 | +1.33% | Analysis |
| 93 | HMY Basic Materials | $20.27 | $20.00 | +1.35% | Analysis |
| 94 | CL Consumer Defensive | $88.77 | $90.00 | -1.37% | Analysis |
| 95 | AZN Healthcare | $162.70 | $165.00 | -1.39% | Analysis |
| 96 | GNRC Industrials | $187.35 | $190.00 | -1.40% | Analysis |
| 97 | AES Utilities | $14.79 | $15.00 | -1.40% | Analysis |
| 98 | REAL Consumer Cyclical | $9.86 | $10.00 | -1.40% | Analysis |
| 99 | TSCO Consumer Cyclical | $34.99 | $34.50 | +1.42% | Analysis |
| 100 | LQD Financial Services | $105.48 | $107.00 | -1.42% | 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 — 864 of the 1,721 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 1,721 symbols each session, from 5,530 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.
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.