Tempest/Field guide

Tempest field guide

See how big a move options are pricing for any stock, and whether that is a lot for that stock compared with its own history.

TempestTempest

Why it matters

Every option price carries a guess about how far the stock will move. Tempest reads that guess for you. It answers one question: how much movement are options paying for, and is that a lot for this stock?

That tells you three things:

  • How far options are pricing the stock to move by today's close, this week or this month, in dollars. Traders use it as a yardstick for targets, stops and strikes.
  • Whether options are cheap or expensive right now compared with the stock's own past.
  • Whether today's move is ordinary or unusual for this stock, measured on its own ruler.

Where to find it

Tempest is available to Pro members during the beta.

  1. In the sidebar, open the Heatseeker menu and pick Tempest. On a phone, tap the Tempest button in the nav bar.
  2. Tempest opens on the radar. Type any ticker in the search box at the top to open that stock.
You wantGo to
Rank the whole market by rich or cheap optionsTempest > Radar (sort by any column, or pick a preset)
Group by sector, theme or Mag 7Radar > Group (on a phone: the Filters sheet)
Everything on one stockTempest > search the ticker (Summary, SVX, Moves, History, Skew, Imbalance, Earnings, Term, Sigma)
Long history, usual range, skew lineTicker > SVX history (3M to All, "Usual range", "Weekend-adjusted", "Put vs call skew")
Past episodes of today's conditions for this stockTicker > Setups (right under the summary)
How often this stock reached an at-the-money option's break-even in the pastTicker > Expected move > Calibrated odds
Expected-move bands on your chartAtlas > plugins > Tempest (bands, levels and horizons in its settings)
Tempest next to a live chartAtlas > the Aegis panel > Tempest tab
The S&P 500's volatility moodTempest > Market tab
Fear & Greed, Mag 7 dispersionTempest > Market tab (the score also sits in the strip on every Tempest page)
Dealer walls and exposure skewThe Heatseeker board (Tempest itself does not show dealer positioning). Talon can also give an upside or downside exposure-skew read.
Ask in plain English, or combine Tempest with HeatseekerTalon: see Ask Talon

What Tempest measures

Every reading answers the same question: how much movement options are paying for, and whether that is a lot for this stock.

SVX (Skylit Volatility Index)

SVX is Skylit's proprietary volatility reading, one per stock, read from that stock's own options. It is stated as a yearly percentage: higher means options are pricing bigger moves. SVX30 covers the next month, SVX9 about two weeks, SVX1D the next session, SVX3M the next quarter.

You don't need to convert SVX yourself. The SVX tiles and the Expected move panel show what each reading means as a price move, in % and $.

Expected moves in Tempest are 1σ (one standard deviation) moves. In the textbook bell curve, price finishes inside them on about 68% of days, and inside twice that on about 95%. Real stocks have more big days than the textbook.

Vol points are the gap between two of these yearly readings. SVX 32 against SVX 30 is a 2 vol point gap.

The SVX history panel: SVX30 and SVX1D over six months, with the usual-range band, an E marker at earnings, and the Weekend-adjusted and Put vs call skew checkboxes.The SVX history panel: SVX30 and SVX1D over six months, with the usual-range band, an E marker at earnings, and the Weekend-adjusted and Put vs call skew checkboxes.

Weekend-adjusted readings

Stocks barely move on a Saturday, so options priced across a weekend look "cheaper per day" on a Friday afternoon and snap back on Monday. Left alone, the history line would saw-tooth every week and every Friday would look cheap just for being a Friday.

So Tempest keeps two versions of each reading:

  • SVX (standard): the headline number on every tile, card and radar column.
  • SVX (weekend-adjusted): the same prices with that weekly calendar pattern taken out. Tempest's comparisons with each stock's past, such as percentiles, the usual-range band and setups, use it, and the history chart shows it by default (the Weekend-adjusted checkbox switches to the standard line).

In a normal week the two sit close together. The adjusted one is just steadier from Friday to Monday.

The readings, and the question each answers

ReadingIt answersWhat traders read from it
SVX %ile (e.g. 30D vs 1y)Are options expensive or cheap for this stock?The main lens. The radar's Rich vol and Cheap vol presets pick out the top and bottom of each stock's own range. Pick the horizon that matches the period you care about (1D next session, 9D about two weeks, 30D a month).
IV rank 1yWhere today sits between the year's low and highA cross-check on the percentile. One spike can distort rank but not percentile.
Term 9–30 / curveIs near-term fear above longer-term?Positive (backwardation) = stress or an event now. Negative (contango) = normal, calm.
Expected move / conesHow far options are pricing price to move by a dateA yardstick for targets, stops and strikes. Drawn on Atlas as bands.
Sigma (σ)How big today's move was, in expected movesUnder 1σ is ordinary; in the textbook, 2σ happens on about 5% of days and 3σ on about 0.3%.
Skew (put vs call, %ile)Are downside puts priced above upside calls?Puts richer than usual = the crowd is paying for protection. A skew flip toward calls = demand for upside.
Premium imbalanceAt the same distance from price, which side is cheap?Whether calls or puts are priced lower relative to each other. Only counted on actively traded contracts.
Earnings · VRP (implied minus realized)Is the report priced above or below the stock's past moves?How this report's pricing compares with the stock's past reactions.
Settling backAfter readings like today's, how often did SVX return to normal within a month?Historical context for how quickly high or low readings have eased back for this stock.
SVX / S&PHow jumpy is this stock versus the index?2.0 = priced to move twice as much as the S&P 500.

Read it in 30 seconds

Search a ticker in Tempest, then read it top to bottom:

  1. How big is the priced move? Read the next-day and weekly expected move in % and $. Many traders use it as a yardstick for targets and stops.
  2. Is it rich or cheap for this stock? Read the SVX percentile, not the raw SVX. A 61 can be expensive for one stock and cheap for another.
  3. Why? Check the earnings date, the term structure and the E markers on the history chart. Expensive options ahead of a known event have an obvious reason. Expensive options with no event in sight are harder to explain.
  4. Priced vs delivered. Compare the Straddle and Realized columns in Expected move. Implied well above realized means options are charging for more movement than the stock has been making.
  5. Which side? Skew and premium imbalance show whether calls or puts are priced lower relative to each other.

Is SVX 100 a lot?

On its own, no. SVX 100 means options are pricing large daily swings. For SPY that would be a crisis. For a meme stock it can be an ordinary week. That is why the radar ranks by each stock's percentile against its own history, not by raw SVX.

High SVX means options are expensive, not that they are overpriced. Premium turns out "inflated" only if the stock then moves less than priced, which nobody knows in advance. Three checks describe how expensive it is today:

  • The percentile is near the top of the stock's own year.
  • Implied is above realized: the straddle or SVX-implied move sits clearly above the Realized column.
  • No known event falls inside the window: earnings, FDA, index rebalance.

All three together is as close as Tempest gets to "rich". It is still a description of pricing, not a forecast.

How to use it

Tempest has four places to work from. Each has its own section below.

Then see patterns traders watch and how earnings show up.

Rank the market: the radar

Why it matters: the radar shows which stocks have unusually cheap or expensive options today, each against its own history. No more checking names one by one.

Where: Tempest opens on the radar. On desktop it sits on the left; on a phone it is a list of cards with a filter sheet.

  1. Pick the percentile basis (Horizon × Lookback, e.g. 30D %ile 1y). It drives the first column, the Rich/Cheap presets and the group medians.
    • Horizon: the period you care about. 1D for the next session, 9D for about two weeks, 30D for the standard read, 3M for a quarter.
    • Lookback (1y, 3y, 5y): how far back "usual" reaches.
  2. Pick a preset to filter the list, or sort by any column.
  3. Click (or tap) a row to open that stock's detail.
The Tempest radar ranked by 30D %ile 1y: one row per stock with its 1y range, SVX30, SVX1D, IV rank and term, and badges such as Earnings in 5d and Skew flip.The Tempest radar ranked by 30D %ile 1y: one row per stock with its 1y range, SVX30, SVX1D, IV rank and term, and badges such as Earnings in 5d and Skew flip.
ColumnMeaningWhat traders read from it
SVX %ileToday vs this stock's own past on the chosen basisThe default sort and the main "rich or cheap" read.
1y rangeLowest to highest SVX30 over the yearContext: how far vol has travelled for this stock.
SVX30 · SVX1DMonth and next-session readings, as yearly %SVX1D far above SVX30 = an event or stress tomorrow.
IV rank 1yPosition between the year's low (0) and high (100)Cross-check; a single spike can distort it.
Term 9-309-day minus 30-day readingAbove 0 = backwardation: something is priced soon.
Next-close move %Move priced from now to the next session's closeThe size of move priced for tomorrow.
SigmaToday's move in expected moves, with its oddsWhere the unusual days show up.
SVX / S&PThis stock's SVX30 ÷ the S&P 30-day2.0 = priced to move twice as much as the index.

Extra columns (desktop, Columns button): Curve, Skew 30d, Skew %ile, Tilt, Cheap side, Earnings in, Earnings move %, VRP, vs sector and Fear/greed. vs sector is how many percentile points the stock sits above or below its sector's median. Fear/greed is each stock's own 0–100 reading (see Fear & Greed).

Group the list by sector or theme (on a phone, in the Filters sheet) to see which groups are rich or cheap as a block. Each group shows its median percentile, median SVX30, median next-day move and how many names are rich. A whole sector going rich at once is a market story. One rich stock in a calm sector is a story about that stock.

PresetKeepsOften watched by
Rich volPercentile near the top of the stock's range on the chosen basisPremium sellers and reversal traders
Cheap volPercentile near the bottom of the stock's rangeSwing and breakout traders
Backwardation9-day reading above 30-dayTraders watching for events and stress
Sigma eventToday's move of 2σ or more either wayReversal and momentum traders
Big mover todayToday's move of 1σ or moreIntraday watchlists
Earnings soonReport within 10 daysEvent traders
Premium imbalanceOne side unusually cheap, on actively traded contractsTraders comparing calls and puts (see premium imbalance)
Put skew extremeSkew %ile at the top of its yearly rangeTraders watching hedging demand
Rich vs realizedImplied clearly above recent realizedPremium sellers
Skew flipSkew just flipped from puts-rich to calls-rich (the badge shows how many sessions ago)Swing and breakout traders
CoiledA rare combination of skew, premium imbalance and vol readings on a quiet stockTraders watching quiet stocks (see Setups)

Hide approximate is on by default. It drops stocks with rough readings: too few quotes right now, or a share price so low that the numbers get coarse.

Why the radar shows fewer names than Tempest covers

The count above the radar reads "N of <total> names". Tap or hover it to see where the rest are:

  • Priced under $5 — approximate: on the radar, hidden while Hide approximate is on.
  • Hidden by your filters: presets, sectors, themes, watchlists.
  • Too few quoted contracts for a reliable reading: only a few of the name's option contracts had two-sided quotes, so a volatility reading wouldn't be reliable. These stay off the radar and out of rankings.
  • No option quotes this session: the name has listed options, but none were quoted.
  • No listed options: no listed options were found for the symbol.
  • Couldn't be read on the last pass: retried automatically.
  • Not reached yet: right after Tempest starts, during market hours; appears within minutes.

Searching for a name that isn't on the radar still opens it, with a short note saying why. Thin names keep their flagged readings below that note.

Read one stock: ticker detail

Why it matters: one page shows how far the stock is priced to move and whether that is cheap or expensive for it. It also shows which side, calls or puts, is priced lower.

Where: search a ticker in Tempest, or click a row on the radar. On a phone, the detail has a pinned header whose tabs jump between sections.

  1. Read the Summary at the top first.
  2. Jump to a section with the section tabs, or scroll.
  3. Tap a panel's header to fold or unfold it. Tempest remembers your choice.

Summary, Setups, SVX, Expected move, History, Skew and Sigma start open. Implied vs actual, Imbalance, Earnings and Term start folded with a one-line teaser. The section tabs open whatever they jump to.

On desktop the radar and the ticker detail scroll independently, both below the toolbar. Drag the divider between them to resize (double-click resets it, arrow keys nudge it). Tempest remembers the split in your browser.

Summary

The panel is titled In plain English: a few sentences that read the whole picture. On a phone it opens with three numbers first: the next-day move (% and $), SVX30 with its percentile, and today's σ with its odds.

SVX

  • SVX %ile 1y (the large number) with the 1y range and how many sessions it rests on. Under about 60 sessions, treat percentiles as provisional.
  • Tiles: SVX30, SVX1D, SVX9, SVX3M, SVX6M, each with its price-terms translation (for example "≈ ±16%/month"), plus IV rank, SVX/S&P, Term 9-30 and Curve.
  • SVX across horizons: a grid of percentiles, horizon (rows) × lookback (columns). Shading gets lighter as percentiles rise. Use it to see where the richness sits. A hot 1D row with a cool 3M row points to an event. Hot across the board is a lasting shift.
  • Settling back: a gauge of SVX30 against this stock's usual range, with the median marked. Below it, one sentence covers the past times SVX was this high (or low). It says how often SVX was back to usual within a month, how long that took, and how many episodes that rests on. With too few episodes, it says there isn't enough history. It describes this stock's past, not what SVX will do next.

Expected move

One row per horizon: Today (to today's close), Next day, This week (to Friday's close), Monthly exp. (to the third Friday) and 30 days. Each row shows the 1σ move in % and $, the price range it implies, the 2σ move, and two cross-checks:

  • Straddle: a second read of the same move, from at-the-money options. It should roughly agree with the main number.
  • Realized: how much the stock has actually been moving, scaled to the same horizon. Implied well above realized means options are charging for more movement than the stock has been making. Implied below realized means options are behind the stock.
The Expected move panel for one stock: Today, Next day, This week, Monthly exp. and 30 days, each with the 1σ move in % and $, its price range, the 2σ move and the Straddle and Realized cross-checks.The Expected move panel for one stock: Today, Next day, This week, Monthly exp. and 30 days, each with the 1σ move in % and $, its price range, the 2σ move and the Straddle and Realized cross-checks.

When price is already outside today's range, a neutral note says by how much, e.g. "Above today's expected range by $0.56 (+1.80σ)". "On chart" marks the horizons currently drawn on Atlas.

SVX history

  • SVX30 and SVX1D over 3M, 6M, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y or All. The longer ranges switch to weekly points.
  • Usual range band: where SVX30 usually sat over the prior year, with a dashed median. Readings above the band are rich, below it cheap, each judged against what was usual at that time.
  • Put vs call skew line (toggle): above 0 puts cost more (demand for protection), below 0 calls cost more (demand for upside).
  • E markers flag the night before earnings, when SVX1D spikes by design because it includes the report move.
  • Weekend-adjusted by default, so the line does not dip every Friday and bounce every Monday. Untick Weekend-adjusted to see the standard readings. See Weekend-adjusted readings.

Skew

  • Skew 30d: how many vol points protective puts cost above comparable calls, about a month out. Skew %ile 1y says whether that is unusual for this stock.
  • Implied vol 30d for the same expiry.
  • Smile: implied vol across strikes for the roughly one-month expiry, drawn next to its expected shape. Points far above the shape are locally expensive strikes; far below, locally cheap.
  • Per-expiry skew table: skew for each expiration. A front expiry far more skewed than later ones = near-term fear.
The Skew panel: the spot-vol label, Skew 30d, Skew %ile 1y and Implied vol 30d, the smile against its expected shape, and skew for each expiration.The Skew panel: the spot-vol label, Skew 30d, Skew %ile 1y and Implied vol 30d, the smile against its expected shape, and skew for each expiration.

Premium imbalance

Which side is cheap, how lopsided, how unusual, and whether the contracts trade well enough to trust. Full explanation in Premium imbalance.

Earnings

  • Earnings in (days), priced move (1σ) for the report day, and the typical past move after recent reports.
  • Past reactions as bars, one per recent report, signed.
  • VRP box: how many vol points implied sits above recent realized, with its percentile. It also shows how often, over the past year, options priced more movement than the stock then delivered ("pricier than what followed"). That is a description of the past year, not a forecast.

Term structure

One row per expiration: days to expiry, implied vol and the straddle-implied 1σ move. The implied vol here can run a little above the at-the-money figure brokers show. The table shows how pricing changes from one expiry to the next. A kink up at one date usually marks an event. This section starts folded.

Sigma

  • Running: today's move so far in σ, with the prior close, its date and the move in dollars ("vs 773.52 (Sep 22) · −$0.08").
  • Last big move: a chip for the latest 1.5σ+ session in the past week, e.g. "Sep 21 +2.27σ · a 2.3% day".
  • Calibration: one line on whether this stock has broken its expected range more or less often than options priced, over its recent history. Example: "SPY breaks its expected range less often than options price: 1σ+ days 22% vs 32%". A fat tails flag appears when its 2σ days have run well above the textbook rate.
  • Priced for today: the move options priced at the prior close for today's session, in % and $.
  • Budget left: how much movement options still price between now and the close ("session closed" outside regular hours).
  • The 60-session strip: tap or drag to read any day (see Look up a day's sigma). 2σ+ days are drawn brighter so they stand out without tapping; E marks earnings reactions.
  • Odds: how often moves this big happen, textbook vs this stock's own history. A stock whose own 2σ days happen far more often than 5% has fat tails.
  • Big-move give-back: after past 1.5σ+ days, how often price gave back at least half within a week, with the number of episodes. It describes this stock's past, not what happens after the next big day.
  • Sigma scale: the four textbook bands (within ±1σ 68%, 1–2σ 27%, 2–3σ 4.3%, beyond 3σ 0.3%) with today's band highlighted.
The Sigma panel: Running, Priced for today and Budget left, the calibration line, the 60-session strip with an E marker, big-move give-back and the sigma scale.The Sigma panel: Running, Priced for today and Budget left, the calibration line, the 60-session strip with an E marker, big-move give-back and the sigma scale.

Look up a day's sigma

Why it matters: one tap tells you whether yesterday, or any of the last 60 sessions, was ordinary for that stock or rare.

Where: Tempest > search a ticker > Sigma. A shorter strip (the last 30 sessions) is in the Aegis Tempest tab on Atlas.

  1. Open Tempest (sidebar Heatseeker menu, or the Tempest button in the phone nav bar) and search the ticker.
  2. Go to Sigma (on a phone, tap the Sigma tab in the pinned header).
  3. The strip shows the last 60 sessions, with the tallest bars the biggest moves. It opens on the latest session. Tap or drag across it (arrow keys on desktop) to read any day.

The readout says, for example: Sep 22: closed −0.02σ · moves at least this big happen on about 99% of days · day's range 0.5σ. A normal day, in other words.

"Closed" measures close-to-close against the move options priced at the prior close. "Day's range" measures high-to-low in the same units.

Premium imbalance: which side is cheap

Why it matters: it shows whether calls or puts are priced lower relative to each other today, after allowing for the stock's usual tilt.

Where: Ticker detail > Imbalance, the Premium imbalance preset on the radar, and the Tilt and Cheap side columns (Columns button).

The idea: options are not priced evenly on both sides. Out-of-the-money puts normally cost more than calls the same distance away, because investors pay up for crash protection. Every stock has its own normal tilt. Premium imbalance asks a sharper question: after allowing for that normal tilt, is one side unusually cheap today?

To read it:

  1. Open a ticker and unfold Imbalance (it starts folded).
  2. Read Cheap side first. Then read Tilt and Tilt vs history to see how lopsided and how unusual it is.
  3. Check that the contracts trade well enough to trust (see the guards below).

To find names across the market, pick the Premium imbalance preset on the radar.

The Premium imbalance panel for one stock: the cheap side, put/call price, same-distance ratio and tilt vs history, the legs against their lows, and the tilt for each expiration.The Premium imbalance panel for one stock: the cheap side, put/call price, same-distance ratio and tilt vs history, the legs against their lows, and the tilt for each expiration.

The readings, from rough to refined

ReadingWhat it tells you
Put/call priceA quick first read of how put prices compare with call prices near the current price.
Same-distance ratioThe same comparison, made fair for where the nearest strikes happen to sit. Still includes the normal put premium every stock carries.
Tilt (vol pts)The core number: how lopsided the two sides are compared with this stock's normal pricing. Positive = puts rich / calls cheap; negative = calls rich / puts cheap.
Tilt vs history (%ile)Today's tilt against this stock's own past year ("new" while history is short). Separates a genuinely unusual day from a stock that is always lopsided.
Cheap sideCalls or puts: whichever is priced low relative to the other. The one-word answer. Read it with the tilt and the guards below.

The legs

For the headline expiry, the ticker detail shows how far each leg, the call and the put, trades above its lowest price since it started trading, with that low and its date ("At its low" when it is there). On the radar, the Premium imbalance preset switches to its own columns, including each leg's price and strike (Call price @ strike, Put price @ strike) and Cheap leg vs its low.

A cheap side whose leg is also at its low is cheap two ways: against the other side and against its own history. The per-expiry table repeats the read for each expiration. That shows whether the imbalance sits on one date or across the whole curve.

Two guards against false readings

  • Liquidity: the contracts must actually trade, with tight quotes and real interest or volume at that strike. Otherwise the imbalance can come from stale quotes. Only liquid readings count for the radar preset.
  • Consistency: when nearby strikes disagree in a way that means the reading is off, Tempest marks it inconsistent and never counts it as liquid.

What traders read from it

  • Which side is priced lower. Traders who have already formed a view look at it to compare calls and puts before choosing between them.
  • Which side is rich. Premium sellers look at the side that is priced higher than usual.
  • Sentiment. Calls unusually cheap means few traders are paying for upside. Some traders compare that with Heatseeker's exposure.

Expected moves on your chart

Why it matters: you see the priced range right on the candles, as reference levels, without switching screens.

Where: on Atlas, open plugins > Tempest, then the gear for its settings. The Tempest tab in Atlas's Aegis panel shows the same readings in a compact panel next to the chart, including the tappable sigma strip. On a phone it opens as a sheet.

  1. Turn on the Tempest plugin on Atlas.
  2. Open its settings (gear) and choose Show: Cones, Levels (Daily range / Weekly range / ±2σ lines), or both.
  3. Pick the Cone horizons and Bands (68%, 95%, Labels, Out-of-range note), then set Band opacity so the bands stay readable under your other plugins.

The plugin has two layers that answer different questions.

Cones: the priced range from here

Anchored to the last bar · widen with time

Cones draw the priced range forward from now to the end of each horizon. Cone horizons: Today (to the close), Next day, This week (to Friday), Monthly (third Friday), 30 days. Defaults: Today + This week.

  • Inner 68% band (1σ) and outer 95% band (2σ), each can be turned on or off. Fills grow lighter toward the horizon.
  • Price tags at the band ends show the actual prices, e.g. "Today 1σ 775.20" / "768.26", plus the 2σ pair on the nearest horizon.
A Tempest cone on an SPY chart in Atlas: the 1σ and 2σ bands widening from the last bar to the end of the week, with price tags at the band ends.A Tempest cone on an SPY chart in Atlas: the 1σ and 2σ bands widening from the last bar to the end of the week, with price tags at the band ends.

Levels: fixed lines, like exposure levels

Anchored to a past close · don't move intraday

Horizontal price lines at the range options priced at a fixed moment, drawn like Heatseeker's exposure levels and following zoom and pan.

  • Daily range: today's 1σ range as priced at the prior close.
  • Weekly range: this week's range as priced at last week's final close.
  • ±2σ lines (optional): the 95% edges of each.
Tempest levels on a TSLA chart in Atlas: the daily and weekly ±1σ lines, each labeled with its price on the right axis, beside the cone.Tempest levels on a TSLA chart in Atlas: the daily and weekly ±1σ lines, each labeled with its price on the right axis, beside the cone.

In Atlas replay the range levels and the out-of-range note are hidden: they show today's option pricing, which would mislead on past bars. The cone is hidden too, unless you turn on Cone at replay time in the Tempest plugin's settings (off by default).

Replay and pin: how a cone played out

As priced at the replay time · frozen once pinned

  • Turn it on: Atlas plugins > Tempest > settings > Cone at replay time ("pin to score it").
  • In Atlas replay the cone is the one options priced at the replay time, never a later one, drawn from that moment's price. The panel at the bottom left says when: "as priced at 13:14". Before a session's first reading, or after the close, it is the previous close's cone; reconstructed means that close cone was rebuilt from the day's stored history. Today's live cone never appears on past bars.
  • Pin freezes the cone on screen (in replay or live). As the replay moves on, or new bars arrive, the panel scores it using only bars that had closed by then: the share of closes inside 1σ, where the latest close sits in σ, the furthest move in σ, when price first closed outside 1σ, and when it first reached 2σ. A check mark means that horizon has ended.
  • Right after a pin the band is very narrow, so the first bar or two often read as outside 1σ.
  • Replays start on Sep 23, 2026 for readings taken during the session; earlier days show the close cones.

How traders read them

  • Reversal traders watch the levels as places where a move has already covered what options priced, often next to Heatseeker's walls (see Heatseeker terms). The weekly lines frame multi-day moves.
  • Breakout traders watch closes through the daily 1σ line, and whether SVX1D is rising with them, as a sign a move is running larger than priced.
  • Option traders use the cones to see where strikes sit against the priced range at a given expiry.
  • Out-of-range note (on by default): a small neutral tag when price is already outside today's range, so you notice a 1σ+ day without checking Tempest.

Market tab

Why it matters: the same reading means something different in a calm market and a stressed one. The Market tab tells you which one you are in before you look at a single stock.

Where: Tempest > Market tab. The strip across the top of every Tempest page shows the regime, S&P 30-day, 30d/3m, vol of vol and tail-risk readings at a glance.

Read the Regime word first. Then check the rows below for what is driving it.

ReadingMeaningA common read
RegimeOne word: calm, normal, elevated, stressed, crisisContext for every other reading. Many traders check it first.
S&P family 1D / 9D / 30D / 3M / 6MTempest's readings for the S&P 500 across horizons, drawn as a term curveHigher = options pricing bigger index moves. Comparing horizons shows whether the worry is near-term or later.
30d / 3m ratio · CurveNear-term vs 3-month; contango / flat / backwardationRatio above 1 (backwardation) = acute stress.
VIX futures curve · M1→M2Where traders price the VIX for coming months; the roll between the first twoA steep positive roll is the calm normal; flat or negative = stress.
Vol of volHow much the 30-day reading itself is expected to swingHigh vol of vol with a low VIX = traders are paying for the chance of a volatility jump.
Tail-risk pricingExtra paid for crash protectionHigh = demand for hedges.
Crowded calmNear-term fear unusually low relative to later and vol of vol unusually lowVery quiet conditions that leave little cushion if something surprises.

Skylit Fear & Greed

Why it matters: one number for the market's mood, read from what options traders are actually paying, not from headlines or surveys.

Where: Tempest > Market tab for the gauge and its history. "Fear & Greed 38 · Fear" sits in the strip on every Tempest page. Per stock: add the Fear/greed column on the radar (Columns button).

The score runs 0–100. 0 is extreme fear, 100 extreme greed. Bands: under 20 extreme fear, 20–40 fear, 40–60 neutral, 60–80 greed, 80+ extreme greed.

The score is built from several options-market readings, for the S&P 500 and across the stocks Tempest covers. The Market tab shows which of them are driving today's score.

The Market tab shows:

  • the gauge, with one plain-English read of where the score sits against its recent past
  • the components, sorted so the ones driving the score come first (up to six)
  • the score's history
Skylit Fear & Greed on the Market tab: the 0 to 100 gauge, one plain-English read, the components sorted by how much they drive the score, and the score's history.Skylit Fear & Greed on the Market tab: the 0 to 100 gauge, one plain-English read, the components sorted by how much they drive the score, and the score's history.

Per stock: the radar's optional Fear/greed column gives each stock its own 0–100 reading, built from that stock's own options pricing. A stock in fear while the market is neutral is stress specific to that stock. A stock in greed while the market is in fear stands apart from the market in the options market.

How traders read it

  • Extreme fear comes with expensive protection and rich premium across many names. Reversal traders watch those stretches for signs of capitulation in price, alongside Heatseeker.
  • Premium sellers note that fear means rich premium, and watch whether the score is still falling or has started to turn.
  • Momentum traders watch greed with a calm term structure. Extreme greed together with "crowded calm" is widely read as complacency.

These are ways traders read the score, not signals.

Mag 7 dispersion

On the Market tab. It compares how big a move options price for the Mag 7 names with the move priced for QQQ, as a ratio with its percentile. Example: "Mag 7 options price 1.68× the QQQ's move, 22nd %ile". High: the big names are priced to move on their own stories. Low: they are priced to move together with the index.

Setups: past episodes for this stock

Why it matters: one memorable chart can mislead. Setups shows, for this exact stock, how often a condition came before a big move in the past, next to how often big moves happened anyway.

Where: Ticker detail > Setups, right under the summary. Skew flip and Coiled are also radar presets, with badges on rows and cards.

For each stock, Tempest finds the past times it was in a given condition. It reports what followed for that stock, always next to a base rate. The base rate is how often the same thing happened in any stretch of that length.

  1. Open a ticker. Setups sits right under the summary.
  2. Find the conditions the stock is in now.
  3. Compare each figure with its base rate, and check how many past episodes it rests on.
SetupCondition
Vol in its cheapest 10%SVX30 at the bottom of its range for the year
Vol in its richest 10%SVX30 at the top of its range for the year
A +2σ / −2σ dayA close-to-close move of 2 expected moves or more
Skew flipped to callsPut-vs-call skew recently went from puts-rich to calls-rich
Near-term vol above the monthThe 9-day reading moved above the 30-day (term inversion)
CoiledA rare combination of skew, premium imbalance and vol readings (see below)

Each line gives, for the past episodes of that condition: how many there were, the median size of the move over the next 20 sessions, how often that move was up, the largest moves each way, and how often a 2σ day followed within 10 sessions, next to the same figure for any 10-session stretch.

The base rate is the part to read first. It shows whether, in this stock's past, 2σ days came more often after the condition than they did anyway. A gap between the two describes the past; it is not odds for the next episode.

Coiled

Coiled marks a quiet stock where the options crowd has started leaning toward upside. It needs several skew, premium-imbalance and vol readings to line up at once.

It is strict on purpose, so it is rare. Most stocks have no past episodes yet and show "not enough history". Where it has history, its line shows the episode count and the base rate next to it. It appears as a radar preset, a badge on rows and cards, and highlighted at the top of the stock's Setups.

Vol-trader reads

Why it matters: these panels compare what options priced with what the stock then did, over its own past. Has this stock moved more or less than priced?

Where: all inside the ticker detail.

ReadPanel
Implied vs actualIts own panel (starts folded)
Spot–vol behaviourSkew
Earnings recordEarnings
Forward volTerm structure
Calibrated oddsExpected move

Implied vs actual

The chart plots SVX30 against how much the stock has actually been moving lately. Next to it: today's gap, its percentile, and how often implied was above realized over past sessions.

  • A wide gap at a high percentile means options are priced well above recent movement.
  • A negative gap means realized is above implied: options are behind the stock.

Both describe the past; neither says what the stock will do next.

Spot–vol behaviour

Shown in the Skew section, with the correlation. It is one of three labels:

  • Normal: vol rises when the stock falls. Most stocks.
  • Call-skew: vol rises with the stock, a call-skew regime. Seen in meme and squeeze names.
  • Mixed: neither.

Earnings record

For recent reports, the move priced going in sits next to the move that happened. One line sums it up, e.g. "the priced move was bigger than the actual move in 6 of 8 reports". It describes past reports only.

Forward vol

The vol priced between two expirations, e.g. Oct 16 to Nov 20. It is a column in Term structure, with a sentence naming the cheapest and richest window. A rich window often lines up with a scheduled event.

Calibrated odds

In Expected move. For 1 week and 1 month, Tempest shows:

  • the move an at-the-money option needs by expiry to break even, in %
  • the textbook odds of reaching it
  • how often this stock actually got there over its past year, up (calls) and down (puts), each time against what options priced then

Your broker shows each contract's breakeven and a model probability. This panel shows how often this stock reached that break-even in its own past year. It is history, not the odds for any option you hold.

Patterns traders watch

Traders use Tempest's readings as context next to price, levels and flow. Below is what different kinds of traders commonly look at. These are descriptions, not recommendations. They are not tested signals, and nothing here says what a stock will do.

Reversal traders

They watch moves that have already run past what options priced: a 2σ day on the Sigma event preset, price at a band edge on Atlas, and the stock's own big-move give-back history in Sigma. Many read those next to Heatseeker's walls. Timing comes from price, not from Tempest.

Swing traders

They watch cheap premium: the Cheap vol, Skew flip and Coiled presets. Cheap premium has a catch: SVX is usually low because the stock has been quiet, and it can stay quiet. An earnings date inside the window means the premium is not really cheap (check the Earnings panel).

Breakout and momentum traders

They watch whether options start pricing a bigger move while price clears a level: SVX1D rising, the term curve moving toward backwardation. They also check the Market tab, because in a stressed market the same breakout reads differently.

Premium sellers

They look at how rich premium is for the stock (SVX %ile), whether implied sits above realized, whether an event falls inside the expiry, and how the settling-back history reads. The warning signs they watch: a backwardated term, negative gamma on Heatseeker, and low-priced stocks whose live readings run high (see Good to know).

Around earnings

Why it matters: options usually get expensive into a report and cheaper right after. Tempest shows whether this report is priced above or below the stock's usual reaction.

Where: ticker detail > Earnings (starts folded), and the E markers on SVX history.

  • Priced move vs typical past move: the Earnings panel shows the 1σ move priced for the report next to the stock's past reactions. Past reactions describe past reports, not this one.
  • SVX1D spikes the night before by design (E markers on the history chart). Don't read that spike as "rich" on its own.
  • After the report, vol usually drops. The morning after, premium is often much cheaper than the night before.

Use it with other Skylit tools

Tempest shows what the move costs and how big it is priced to be. Heatseeker shows where dealers are positioned.

Heatseeker terms used in this guide:

  • GEX / VEX: Heatseeker's gamma exposure and vanna exposure views.
  • Positive gamma / negative gamma: positive and negative nodes on the GEX view.
  • Wall: a large node, usually acting as a floor or ceiling.
  • Exposure skew: whether more of the board's exposure sits above price or below it. Heatseeker has no single readout for it. Read it off the board, or ask Talon, which reports it as upside, downside or balanced.

The Heatseeker guide covers these in more depth.

Together:

Heatseeker showsTempest showsA common read
Positive gamma wall at a levelThat level sits near a 1σ band edgeTwo separate readings pointing at the same area.
Upside exposure skewSVX %ile low, skew leaning to callsUpside priced low while positioning leans up.
Negative gamma belowTerm backwardated, SVX risingConditions many traders associate with larger moves.
Wall far outside the bandsLow SVXOptions are not pricing a move that far.

On Atlas, the Tempest plugin draws the bands and levels next to your other plugins (see Expected moves on your chart). Talon can combine Tempest readings with Heatseeker exposure in one question (see Ask Talon).

Ask Talon

Why it matters: ask for any Tempest reading in plain English, from any page, without building filters by hand. Talon can also combine Tempest with Heatseeker exposure in one question.

Where: open Talon from any page and type your question.

Talon reads the same numbers as the Tempest page. It says when they were taken (after hours, e.g. "readings are from the Sep 22 close") and describes what options are pricing. It does not give trade advice or explain how readings are calculated.

You wantAsk Talon
Cheap or rich premium across the market"Which names have cheap vol right now?" · "Top 10 rich-vol names in semis"
A level or a percentile"Tickers with SVX30 below 20" (the level) · "SVX percentile under 10" (vs each stock's own year). A bare "SVX below 20" is read as the level; Talon says the percentile reading is also available.
Combine with Heatseeker exposure"Cheap vol names with upside exposure skew" · "SVX under 20 and GEX leaning up" · "Rich vol with downside VEX skew"
Presets"Which names just had a skew flip?" · "Show coiled names" · "Premium imbalance where calls are cheap" · "Backwardation" · "Sigma events today" · "Earnings in the next 10 days" · "Rich vs realized"
Your own list"Coiled names on my watchlist" · "Cheap vol on my Swing watchlist" · "Mag 7 by SVX percentile" · "Energy names with put skew extreme" · "NVDA, AMD, AVGO compared"
One stock"Is NVDA's premium rich or cheap?" · "Everything Tempest has on AAPL" · "TSLA implied vs realized" · "AAPL earnings priced move and record" · "QQQ term structure" · "SPY skew and premium imbalance"
A day's sigma"What sigma did SPY close yesterday?" · "QQQ on Sep 21 in sigmas" · "SPY's 2σ days in the last 60 sessions"
Expected moves and history"NVDA expected move this week" · "SPY daily range levels" · "How often did MSFT reach an at-the-money break-even over a month?"
Past episodes"What setups is NVDA in, and what followed before?"
The market"What is the vol regime?" · "Fear & Greed today, and what is driving it?" · "Mag 7 dispersion"
Meaning"What does the skew flip badge mean?" · "What is Coiled?" · "If puts are cheap, does that mean the stock goes up?"

How it behaves:

  • Heatseeker combinations check every match. Talon filters Tempest first, then reads Heatseeker exposure for every name that matched. Names without a recent Heatseeker reading are left out, and Talon says how many.
  • Approximate names are left out unless you ask for them ("include approximate").
  • After the close everything is the close reading; during market hours it is live.
  • Cheap is not a direction. Cheap puts mean puts cost less than usual relative to calls; they do not say which way the stock goes. Talon will say so.

Good to know

  • Tempest is in beta. Readings, panels and names can change during the beta.
  • Tempest describes what options are pricing. It is not a forecast and not a recommendation. Expensive options can stay expensive, and cheap options on a quiet stock can stay cheap.
  • Low-priced stocks read high during market hours. For stocks under about $10, live readings can run noticeably higher than the same stock's after-close reading, so they can look richer than they are. For stocks under about $25, lean on the after-close readings.
  • "Approximate" means rough. Names with too few quotes, or a very low share price, are marked Approximate. The radar hides them by default. Read them as a rough guide.
  • Short history means provisional percentiles. Under about 60 sessions of history, treat a stock's percentiles as provisional.
  • Setups, settling-back history, calibrated odds and percentiles describe each stock's own past, measured on that same history. They show what happened before, not what will happen next. Small counts (a handful of past episodes) are hints.
  • Fear & Greed's history uses fewer ingredients than today's score, so the history line and the live score can differ a little.
  • Expected-move bands have run a little wide, which is normal when options carry a premium over the moves that follow.
  • The patterns in this guide describe what traders watch. They are not recommendations and not tested signals.
  • Not in Tempest yet: alerts on volatility events, options flow combined with volatility, and skew history by delta.

What's new

September 2026

  • Earnings card no longer calls one report typical. With fewer than three past earnings reports on file, the earnings card shows how many reports it has instead of calling the move typical or giving a priced-vs-usual verdict, and notes that more history is loading. See Earnings record.
  • Light mode for Tempest. Tempest, the Tempest cards in Aegis, and the Tempest Cone on Atlas now follow your light or dark mode setting instead of always showing dark.
  • Clearer Tempest Cone panel on Atlas. The Tempest Cone panel says exactly which cone you're viewing and why, its controls and columns get short explanations, and it now sits bottom-right so it no longer covers the chart, the drawing tools, or, on phones, the Calf's toolbar. See Expected moves on your chart.
  • Replay and pin Tempest cones on Atlas. Turn on Cone at replay time in the Tempest plugin's settings to see, in Atlas replay, the cone options priced at that moment. Pin a cone and a scorecard tracks price against it. See Expected moves on your chart.
  • Weekend-adjusted SVX. Percentiles, setups, the usual range and SVX history use a weekend-adjusted reading, so Fridays stop looking cheap. A Weekend-adjusted checkbox on the history chart shows the standard reading. See Weekend-adjusted readings.
  • Why some names aren't on the radar. Tap or hover the name count above the radar to see where the rest are. Search a name that isn't on the radar and it opens with a short note saying why. See Why the radar shows fewer names than Tempest covers.
  • Tempest in Talon. Ask Talon about cheap or rich names, presets, one ticker, a day's sigma or the market regime, even combined with Heatseeker exposure skew. See Ask Talon.
  • Resizable radar and detail panes. On desktop, drag the divider to resize the radar and ticker detail; the toolbar no longer covers them. Dealer levels moved to Heatseeker. See Read one stock: ticker detail.
  • Setups and the Coiled preset. Each ticker shows what followed past times in the same condition, next to a base rate. Skew flip and Coiled join the presets. See Setups: past episodes for this stock.
  • Implied vs actual, earnings record and calibrated odds. Ticker detail adds implied vs actual vol, spot-vol behaviour, earnings record, forward vol and calibrated odds. Panels fold and stay how you left them. See Vol-trader reads.
  • Skylit Fear & Greed and Mag 7 dispersion. The Market tab adds a Fear & Greed gauge built from options pricing, plus Mag 7 dispersion. The score also sits atop every Tempest page. See Skylit Fear & Greed.
  • A clearer Sigma panel. You see moves in dollars, the last big move, whether the stock breaks its range more than priced, and a tappable 60-session strip. See Sigma.
  • Tempest on your phone. On a phone the radar becomes cards with a filter sheet, and ticker detail gets a pinned header with section tabs. See Where to find it.
  • Premium imbalance preset fixed. The Premium imbalance preset had shown few or no names, especially after the close. Heavily traded names such as QQQ and AAPL now appear. See Two guards against false readings.
  • Longer SVX history with a usual range. SVX history reaches back up to five years, with a usual-range band and optional skew line. Settling back shows how often similar readings normalized. See SVX history.

Every Tempest update: skylit.ai/changelog/tempest.

Glossary

Every term as the app defines it.

Terms as they appear in the app (71 terms).

TermMeaning
1y rangeThe lowest and highest SVX30 over the past year. Puts today's reading in context: near the bottom of the range, options are about as cheap as they have been all year.
2σ day within 10 sessionsHow often a day of at least two expected moves followed within 10 sessions of the setup, next to how often that happens in any 10 sessions for this stock. The gap between the two numbers is what the setup added; without the second number the first can look more special than it is.
2σ moveTwice the expected move. Moves this large happen on only about 5% of days. A useful outer boundary for what would count as a very unusual move.
30d / 3m ratioThe 30-day reading divided by the 3-month reading. Below 1 means near-term fear is lower than later. It is the quickest way to tell a calm market (well below 1) from a stressed one (above 1).
ApproximateApproximate: at this share price, the smallest option price increments make readings coarse. Small moves in option prices show up as big jumps in the numbers, so read them as rough.
Big-move give-backAfter days that moved 1.5σ or more, how often the price gave back at least half of that move within a week. It shows whether big days for this stock have tended to stick or fade.
Budget leftHow much more movement, in percent, options are still pricing between now and today's close. The remaining expected move shrinks as the day goes on, so a big move late in the session stands out more.
Calibrated oddsAn at-the-money option breaks even on about a 0.40σ move. This shows the textbook odds of that next to how often this stock actually moved that far, up and down, over its past year. Textbook odds treat every stock the same; this stock's own record shows whether its moves have tended to run past or fall short of what options priced.
Cheap sideWhich side, calls or puts just out of the money, is priced lower than usual relative to the other. An unusual imbalance shows which way the market is leaning.
CoiledSkew has just flipped to calls and sits near its lows for this stock, calls are cheap next to puts, and volatility is not expensive. It is a quiet, low-priced stretch that on some stocks has come before large moves; the history shows how often that held here.
Crowded calmNear-term fear is unusually low relative to later AND volatility of volatility is unusually low. Very quiet conditions leave little cushion, so a surprise can move volatility sharply.
CurveWhether near-term volatility sits below (contango), level with (flat) or above (backwardation) longer-term volatility. Contango is the normal calm state; backwardation shows up when fear is high right now.
Data qualityFewer quotes than usual right now, so treat this as approximate. Numbers built on less trading are less reliable and can jump around.
DTEDays until this expiration date. Nearer dates react faster to news; farther dates reflect longer-term expectations.
Earnings inCalendar days until the next earnings report. Option prices usually rise into earnings and drop right after.
Expected moveThe size of move, up or down, the options market is pricing for this stock over the period shown. About 68% of the time the actual move ends up smaller. It turns volatility into a price range you can picture on a chart.
Fear/greedThe same 0-100 mood reading for one stock, from its own options: how pricey they are against its past, how much protection is in demand, and which side's premiums are richer. Low means its options lean fearful for this stock; high means they lean relaxed or eager.
Forward volThe volatility options price for just the stretch between one expiration and the next, as a yearly percentage. It shows which weeks ahead the market expects to be calm or busy — an earnings date usually makes its window the richest.
From lowHow far this option's price is above its lowest price since it started trading, in percent. Near 0% means it is at or close to its cheapest level so far.
Implied beat actualHow often, on past sessions, the move options priced for the next 20 sessions was larger than the move that actually followed. It shows whether options on this stock have usually been priced above or below what the stock went on to do.
Implied vol (full smile) %The options market's estimate of yearly movement for this one expiration date, read across all option prices, which runs a little above the at-the-money figure brokers show. Lining up expiration dates shows which periods the market expects to be calm and which turbulent.
Implied vs actualSVX30 (what options price for the next month) next to how much the stock has actually moved over the last 20 sessions, both as yearly percentages. When implied sits well above actual, options are pricing more movement than the stock has been delivering.
IV rank 1yWhere today's SVX30 sits between the past year's lowest reading (0) and highest reading (100). It shows how close today is to the year's extremes; one past spike can make it read low even when volatility is elevated.
Leg priceThe price of the nearest out-of-the-money option on that side, and the price level it pays off beyond. These are the two options the imbalance compares.
LiquidityWhether these options trade enough, with tight enough prices, for the numbers to be dependable. Imbalances in rarely traded options are often just stale prices.
M1→M2How much the second VIX futures month is priced above the first, in percent. A steep positive gap is the calm normal; a negative one means near-term fear is priced above later fear.
Mag 7 dispersionHow big a move options price for the Mag 7 names on average, compared with the move priced for the QQQ as a whole. High means the big names are expected to move on their own stories (a stock-picking market); low means they are expected to move together (an index market).
OddsHow often moves this big happen: the textbook bell-curve figure next to how often they actually happened for this stock. Real stocks have more big days than the textbook says; the second number shows by how much.
Priced for todayThe move, up or down, options priced at the prior close for today's session, as a percent of the price. Sigma measures today's move against exactly this figure.
Priced move (1σ)The one-sigma move, up or down, options are pricing for the day of the next earnings report. It shows how big a reaction the market is bracing for. Brokers' "expected move" figures (from the at-the-money straddle) run about 20% smaller.
Priced vs actualFor each past report: the move options priced going in, next to the move the stock actually made. It shows whether this stock has usually moved less or more than its earnings were priced for.
Pricier than what followedHow often, over the past year, options priced more movement than the stock then delivered. It shows whether options on this stock have usually been expensive or cheap in hindsight.
Put/call priceThe price of the nearest out-of-the-money put divided by the nearest out-of-the-money call. Above 1 means downside protection costs more than upside exposure at the nearest levels.
Realized %Recent actual moves: how much the stock has really been moving lately, scaled to the same period. Comparing it with the expected move shows whether options are pricing more or less movement than the stock has actually delivered.
RegimeA one-word summary of the S&P 500's volatility mood: calm, normal, elevated, stressed or crisis. Most readings on this page mean something different in a calm market than in a stressed one.
S&P 3-monthThe same estimate for the S&P 500 over the next 3 months. It tracks Cboe's VIX3M within about 0.2 pts. Comparing it with the 30-day reading shows whether fear is concentrated right now or spread out.
S&P 30-dayThe options market's estimate of how much the S&P 500 will move over the next month, as a yearly percentage. 30 ≈ the S&P 500 priced for about ±1.9% a day. It's the size of the expected swing in the S&P 500, up or down — not a forecast of direction. About 68% of the time the index is expected to stay inside that range.
S&P 6-monthThe same estimate for the S&P 500 over the next 6 months. It runs about 1.3 pts below Cboe's VIX6M. The slowest-moving reading; it reflects the market's long-run comfort level.
S&P 9-dayThe same estimate for the S&P 500 over the next 9 days. It runs about 0.6 pts below Cboe's VIX9D. When it sits above the 30-day reading, the market is more worried about the next week than the month.
S&P next-dayImplied vol for roughly the next 24 hours from S&P 500 options. Cboe's VIX1D measures the rest of the current trading day, so the two differ. It jumps ahead of known events such as a Fed decision or a jobs report.
Same-distance ratioThe same put/call price ratio, but with both sides the same distance from the current price. It removes the accident of where the nearest levels happen to sit, so the comparison is fair.
Settling backWhere today's SVX30 sits against this stock's usual range, and, when it was this high or this low before, how often it was back at its usual level within a month and how long that typically took. High volatility tends to fade; this shows how quickly it has for this stock.
SetupsConditions this stock has been in before — cheap or rich volatility, 2σ days, skew flipping to calls — and what the stock did in the weeks after each past time. It puts today in the context of this stock's own past, next to how often the same thing happens on any ordinary stretch.
SigmaToday's move so far, measured in expected moves (σ) priced at yesterday's close. +1σ means the stock is up exactly one expected move. It separates ordinary days (under 1σ, about 68% of days) from unusual ones (over 2σ, about 5% of days), however volatile the stock normally is.
Skew %ile 1yHow today's skew compares with the past year: 90 means puts are richer versus calls than on 90% of days. It tells you whether demand for protection is unusual for this particular stock.
Skew 30dHow much more (positive) or less (negative) protective puts cost than comparable calls over the next month, in volatility points. Positive and rising means investors are paying up for protection against a drop.
Skew flipWithin the last 10 sessions, calls went from cheaper than puts to as rich as or richer than puts. A turn in which side of the options market is in demand often marks a change in mood for the stock.
Skylit Fear & GreedOne 0-100 reading of the market's mood, built from what options are pricing, not headlines: 0 is extreme fear, 50 neutral, 100 extreme greed. Fear shows up in option prices first: protection gets expensive and swings get priced bigger. This puts all of that on one dial.
SmileOption prices across price levels for the roughly 1-month expiration, shown as implied volatility, next to their expected shape. Levels priced well above the expected shape are where traders are paying extra.
SpotThe stock's latest price. Dollar expected moves are measured from this price.
Spot–vol linkWhether SVX30 has tended to rise when the stock falls (the usual pattern) or rise when the stock rises, over the last 60 sessions. The link runs from −1 to +1. When volatility rises with the price, rallies can feed on themselves — a pattern seen around short squeezes.
Straddle-implied 1σ %The one-sigma move implied by at-the-money options, as a percent of the stock price. A second read on the same expected move; when the two agree, the estimate is on firmer ground.
SVX %ileHow today's reading for the chosen horizon compares with the same stock over the chosen lookback: 90 means higher than on 90% of days. Pick the horizon that matches how long you hold a position, and the lookback that matches how far back you want to compare.
SVX %ile 1yHow today's SVX30 compares with the past year: 90 means it is higher than on 90% of days. It tells you whether options are expensive or cheap for this particular stock, which the raw number alone cannot.
SVX / S&PThis stock's SVX30 divided by the S&P 500's 30-day reading, the market-wide fear gauge. 2.0 means options price this stock to move twice as much as the S&P 500. It shows how much more (or less) jumpy this stock is expected to be than the overall market right now.
SVX1DThe same estimate for just the next trading day, stated as a yearly percentage so it lines up with SVX30. Hover it to see the move options price for the next session, in percent. When it sits well above SVX30, the market expects an unusually big move very soon, often around news or earnings.
SVX30SVX (Skylit Volatility Index): how much the options market expects this stock to move over the next month, as a yearly %. One reading for every stock, on the same scale. SVX 30 ≈ options pricing about ±1.9% on a typical day. Higher means bigger expected swings and pricier options. It's the size of the expected swing in the stock's price, up or down — not a forecast of direction, and not a change in the index itself. About 68% of the time the price is expected to stay inside that range.
SVX3MThe same estimate over the next 3 months, as a yearly percentage. 30 means roughly ±8.7% a month. Longer readings change slowly and show the market's baseline expectation for this stock.
SVX6MThe same estimate over the next 6 months, as a yearly percentage. The slowest-moving reading; a jump here means the market has changed its long-run view of the stock.
SVX9The same estimate over about the next two weeks, as a yearly percentage. 30 means roughly ±4.2% over a week. Comparing short and long readings shows whether traders expect turbulence now or later.
Tail-risk pricingHow much extra investors pay for protection against a sudden large S&P 500 drop. It tracks Cboe's SKEW within about 2 pts. A high reading means crash protection is in demand, even when the 30-day reading looks calm.
Term 9-30The 9-day reading minus the 30-day reading. Above zero means the market expects more movement in the next week or so than over the month. Above zero (called backwardation) usually shows up around stress or an upcoming event; below zero is the normal, calm state.
ThinFewer quotes than usual right now, so treat this as approximate. Numbers built on less trading are less reliable and can jump around.
TiltHow lopsided put and call prices are after allowing for the normal difference between them, in volatility points. Positive = puts rich, calls cheap. Normal skew is expected; tilt shows only the unusual part.
Tilt vs historyHow today's tilt compares with this stock's own past year, as a percentile. An extreme reading is rare for this stock, which is what makes it noteworthy.
Typical past moveThe middle-sized stock move after recent earnings reports, up or down. Comparing it with the priced move shows whether the market expects more or less drama than usual.
VIX futures curveWhere traders are pricing the VIX for each coming month. An upward slope is the normal calm state; a downward slope means the market expects today's fear to fade.
Vol of volHow much the S&P 500's 30-day reading is itself expected to swing. It tracks Cboe's VVIX within about 0.6 pts. High readings mean traders expect fear to change quickly; very low readings can mean complacency.
VRPHow much higher the options market's volatility estimate is than the stock's recent actual volatility, in volatility points. A large positive gap means options are priced well above what the stock has been delivering.
vs sectorHow much pricier (+) or cheaper (−) this stock's options are than its sector's today, in percentile points. Big gaps flag stock-specific stories.
vs usualHow today's imbalance compares with this stock's own past, as a percentile; "new" while there is not enough history. An extreme reading is rare for this stock, which is what makes it noteworthy.

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