Use case · Earnings traders using UOA
Unusual Options Activity for Earnings
Earnings compress time: IV is rich, strikes get loud, and the wrong filter set gets expensive. Rank unusual activity, bound DTE to the event, and plan for IV crush as well as direction.
Updated 2026-07-22
Problems this workflow solves
- Mixing non-event expiries into the “earnings” story.
- Chasing the first sweep without strike concentration.
- Ignoring crush risk after the print.
Recommended workflow
Step 1
Bound the event window
DTE and date filters on Option Trades around the announcement.
Open related surface →Step 2
Rank unusual names
Rank Symbols/Contracts for premium and size outliers into the event.
Open related surface →Step 3
Read moneyness & side
OTM lottery flow differs from ITM hedges, filter moneyness and aggressor side.
Open related surface →Step 4
Plan crush
High IV Rank + long premium needs an explicit IV-crush plan (see glossary).
Open related surface →
Product capabilities that matter
Event-ready filters
DTE, premium, moneyness, side, and trade type on one tape.
Rank → validate
Unusual first, then chain structure for the strike bet.
Who this is for
Event traders who trade pre- or post-earnings with options structure in the plan.
Who this is not for
Buy-and-hold investors who never trade around catalysts.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the largest premium name the best earnings trade?
- Often it is the most crowded. Prefer ranked concentration plus your own crush and size limits.
Related glossary
- Unusual options activity (UOA)UOA flags contracts or underlyings trading far above recent norms in volume, size, or premium. It is an attention screen, not a directional signal.
- IV crushIV crush is a sharp drop in implied volatility after uncertainty resolves, often after earnings. Premium can fall even when the stock moves your way.
- IV RankIV Rank places today’s implied volatility between its recent high and low so “expensive” or “cheap” is relative to that underlying’s history.
- Moneyness (ITM / ATM / OTM)Moneyness labels a contract relative to spot: in-the-money (ITM), at-the-money (ATM), or out-of-the-money (OTM).
- Aggressor side (bid / ask)Aggressor side estimates who crossed the spread: prints at or above the ask often look like aggressive buying; at or below the bid, aggressive selling. Mid is ambiguous.
- Option flowOption flow is the time-and-sales stream of options prints: contract, size, premium, and inferred aggressor side.
Related personas
- Unusual Options Activity for Earnings TradersEarnings compress time: IV expands, strikes get loud, and bad filters get expensive. Rank unusual activity, then check whether flow sits in the event expiry.
- Options Flow for Swing TradersSwing traders care about positioning that can last more than a day: unusual flow, OI confirmation, and walls for multi-day levels.
- GEX and Options Flow for Volatility TradersVol traders live in regimes. GEX and IV set the weather; flow shows whether customers are paying for convexity or harvesting premium now.
Try TradingFlow for earnings traders using uoa
Open the live Option Trades tape, rank unusual activity, and validate structure in one research path.