# Unusual options activity on Oct 16, 2026

On Oct 16, 2026, SquawkFlow published 130 snapshots of unusual options activity, 130 from delayed options chain data (newest capture Oct 16, 2026, 16:14 ET). Chain figures are session totals published at least 15 minutes after capture; none is an individual trade.

By kind: Put/call by expiry 91, Volume vs open interest 14, Same-day share 14, Near vs far dates 11.

## Snapshots, most notable first

| As of (ET) | Ticker | Kind | Snapshot | Permalink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:07 ET | NVDA | Volume vs open interest | NVDA 217.5 calls expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.2x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nvda-217p5-calls-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 13:16 ET | IWM | Put/call by expiry | IWM puts expiring Nov 20 traded 8.2x the calls, vs a 2.6x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/iwm-puts-nov-20-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:54 ET | SOFI | Put/call by expiry | SOFI calls outnumbered puts 9.7 to 1 expiring Nov 20, vs a 5.4 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/sofi-calls-nov-20-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:46 ET | NVDA | Put/call by expiry | NVDA calls outnumbered puts 10.1 to 1 expiring Nov 6 (3 weeks out), vs a 1.7 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nvda-calls-nov-6-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 12:05 ET | BAC | Put/call by expiry | BAC calls outnumbered puts 9.8 to 1 expiring Jan 15, 2027, vs a 0.9 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/bac-calls-jan-15-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:47 ET | MSFT | Volume vs open interest | MSFT 542.5 calls expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.7x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/msft-542p5-calls-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 12:39 ET | SOFI | Put/call by expiry | SOFI calls outnumbered puts 8.8 to 1 expiring Mar 19, 2027, vs a 2.9 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/sofi-calls-mar-19-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:50 ET | AAPL | Put/call by expiry | AAPL calls outnumbered puts 7.8 to 1 expiring Jan 15, 2027, vs a 1.1 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/aapl-calls-jan-15-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 13:01 ET | AMZN | Volume vs open interest | AMZN 252.5 puts expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.0x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/amzn-252p5-puts-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 12:38 ET | GOOGL | Volume vs open interest | GOOGL 342.5 puts expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.3x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/googl-342p5-puts-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:43 ET | GOOGL | Put/call by expiry | GOOGL calls outnumbered puts 7.4 to 1 expiring Oct 23 (1 week out), vs a 2.6 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/googl-calls-oct-23-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:41 ET | NVDA | Put/call by expiry | NVDA calls outnumbered puts 6.8 to 1 expiring Dec 18, vs a 1.8 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nvda-calls-dec-18-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:33 ET | MSFT | Put/call by expiry | MSFT calls outnumbered puts 5.7 to 1 in contracts expiring Oct 16 (same day) | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/msft-calls-oct-16-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:50 ET | IWM | Put/call by expiry | IWM calls outnumbered puts 6.9 to 1 expiring Nov 6 (3 weeks out), vs a 0.6 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/iwm-calls-nov-6-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:33 ET | PLTR | Volume vs open interest | PLTR 197.5 calls expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.4x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/pltr-197p5-calls-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 15:00 ET | NFLX | Volume vs open interest | NFLX 71 puts expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.1x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nflx-71-puts-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 12:14 ET | GOOGL | Put/call by expiry | GOOGL calls outnumbered puts 6.8 to 1 expiring Oct 26 (1 week out), vs a 2.6 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/googl-calls-oct-26-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:16 ET | BAC | Put/call by expiry | BAC calls outnumbered puts 6.5 to 1 expiring Dec 18, vs a 0.9 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/bac-calls-dec-18-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:40 ET | NFLX | Put/call by expiry | NFLX calls outnumbered puts 6.2 to 1 expiring Oct 23 (1 week out), vs a 2.4 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nflx-calls-oct-23-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:38 ET | MSFT | Put/call by expiry | MSFT calls outnumbered puts 6.1 to 1 expiring Oct 19, vs a 1.5 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/msft-calls-oct-19-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:46 ET | NVDA | Put/call by expiry | NVDA calls outnumbered puts 4.7 to 1 expiring Oct 23 (1 week out), vs a 1.7 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nvda-calls-oct-23-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:30 ET | NFLX | Put/call by expiry | NFLX calls outnumbered puts 6.1 to 1 expiring Jan 15, 2027, vs a 1.8 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nflx-calls-jan-15-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:56 ET | IWM | Put/call by expiry | IWM puts expiring Dec 18 traded 5.5x the calls, vs a 2.6x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/iwm-puts-dec-18-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 15:57 ET | META | Put/call by expiry | META calls outnumbered puts 5.7 to 1 expiring Jan 21, 2028, vs a 1.5 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/meta-calls-jan-21-2028-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:39 ET | QQQ | Put/call by expiry | QQQ calls outnumbered puts 5.4 to 1 expiring Oct 30 (2 weeks out), vs a 1.0 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/qqq-calls-oct-30-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:34 ET | SOFI | Put/call by expiry | SOFI calls outnumbered puts 5.7 to 1 expiring Oct 23 (1 week out), vs a 2.0 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/sofi-calls-oct-23-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:52 ET | SPY | Volume vs open interest | SPY 771 puts expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 6.0x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/spy-771-puts-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:36 ET | AMZN | Put/call by expiry | AMZN calls outnumbered puts 5.0 to 1 expiring Dec 18, vs a 2.5 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/amzn-calls-dec-18-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:36 ET | TSLA | Put/call by expiry | TSLA calls outnumbered puts 4.9 to 1 expiring Oct 30 (2 weeks out), vs a 1.6 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/tsla-calls-oct-30-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 15:57 ET | AMZN | Put/call by expiry | AMZN calls outnumbered puts 4.5 to 1 expiring Jan 19, 2029, vs a 1.8 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/amzn-calls-jan-19-2029-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:11 ET | META | Volume vs open interest | META 722.5 puts expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.3x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/meta-722p5-puts-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 12:53 ET | GOOGL | Put/call by expiry | GOOGL calls outnumbered puts 4.2 to 1 expiring Jan 15, 2027, vs a 2.2 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/googl-calls-jan-15-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:17 ET | MSFT | Put/call by expiry | MSFT calls outnumbered puts 4.7 to 1 expiring Nov 20, vs a 1.4 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/msft-calls-nov-20-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 11:06 ET | AAPL | Volume vs open interest | AAPL 347.5 calls expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.2x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/aapl-347p5-calls-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 13:29 ET | COIN | Volume vs open interest | COIN 182.5 calls expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.1x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/coin-182p5-calls-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:44 ET | QQQ | Volume vs open interest | QQQ 723 calls expiring Oct 16 (same day) traded 5.7x their open interest | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/qqq-723-calls-oct-16-2026-volume-vs-open-interest |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:36 ET | TSLA | Put/call by expiry | TSLA calls outnumbered puts 3.0 to 1 in contracts expiring Oct 16 (same day) | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/tsla-calls-oct-16-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 14:50 ET | COIN | Put/call by expiry | COIN puts expiring Nov 6 (3 weeks out) traded 4.2x the calls, vs a 0.5x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/coin-puts-nov-6-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:36 ET | META | Put/call by expiry | META calls outnumbered puts 4.3 to 1 expiring Nov 20, vs a 1.2 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/meta-calls-nov-20-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:56 ET | IWM | Put/call by expiry | IWM puts expiring Oct 30 (2 weeks out) traded 4.0x the calls, vs a 1.8x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/iwm-puts-oct-30-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:31 ET | TSLA | Put/call by expiry | TSLA calls outnumbered puts 4.3 to 1 expiring Oct 23 (1 week out), vs a 1.6 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/tsla-calls-oct-23-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 15:54 ET | QQQ | Put/call by expiry | QQQ puts expiring Oct 22 traded 3.2x the calls, vs a 1.2x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/qqq-puts-oct-22-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 15:57 ET | META | Put/call by expiry | META calls outnumbered puts 4.2 to 1 expiring Feb 19, 2027, vs a 1.5 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/meta-calls-feb-19-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:45 ET | AMD | Put/call by expiry | AMD calls outnumbered puts 3.9 to 1 expiring Oct 23 (1 week out), vs a 1.2 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/amd-calls-oct-23-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 14:50 ET | AMD | Put/call by expiry | AMD puts expiring Mar 19, 2027 traded 3.9x the calls, vs a 1.5x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/amd-puts-mar-19-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 11:53 ET | XOM | Put/call by expiry | XOM calls outnumbered puts 4.2 to 1 expiring Nov 20, vs a 1.8 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/xom-calls-nov-20-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 15:52 ET | SPY | Put/call by expiry | SPY puts expiring Oct 30 (2 weeks out) traded 2.6x the calls, vs a 1.0x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/spy-puts-oct-30-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:56 ET | AMZN | Put/call by expiry | AMZN calls outnumbered puts 4.1 to 1 expiring Oct 21, vs a 2.0 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/amzn-calls-oct-21-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:44 ET | SOFI | Put/call by expiry | SOFI calls outnumbered puts 3.7 to 1 expiring Oct 30 (2 weeks out), vs a 2.0 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/sofi-calls-oct-30-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 11:19 ET | SOFI | Put/call by expiry | SOFI calls outnumbered puts 3.8 to 1 expiring Nov 6 (3 weeks out), vs a 2.0 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/sofi-calls-nov-6-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:48 ET | XOM | Put/call by expiry | XOM calls outnumbered puts 3.6 to 1 expiring Oct 23 (1 week out), vs a 1.9 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/xom-calls-oct-23-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:40 ET | BAC | Put/call by expiry | BAC calls outnumbered puts 3.7 to 1 in contracts expiring Oct 16 (same day) | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/bac-calls-oct-16-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:34 ET | SOFI | Put/call by expiry | SOFI calls outnumbered puts 3.4 to 1 in contracts expiring Oct 16 (same day) | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/sofi-calls-oct-16-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:43 ET | GOOGL | Put/call by expiry | GOOGL calls outnumbered puts 2.9 to 1 in contracts expiring Oct 16 (same day) | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/googl-calls-oct-16-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 09:41 ET | NVDA | Put/call by expiry | NVDA calls outnumbered puts 3.6 to 1 expiring Oct 21, vs a 1.5 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nvda-calls-oct-21-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 11:40 ET | AMD | Put/call by expiry | AMD puts expiring Nov 13 traded 3.8x the calls, vs a 1.0x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/amd-puts-nov-13-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:51 ET | NVDA | Put/call by expiry | NVDA calls outnumbered puts 3.1 to 1 expiring Nov 13, vs a 1.8 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/nvda-calls-nov-13-2026-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 11:03 ET | MSFT | Put/call by expiry | MSFT puts expiring Jan 21, 2028 traded 3.8x the calls, vs a 0.7x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/msft-puts-jan-21-2028-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 10:39 ET | JPM | Put/call by expiry | JPM calls outnumbered puts 3.8 to 1 expiring Jan 15, 2027, vs a 1.7 median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/jpm-calls-jan-15-2027-put-call-skew |
| Oct 16, 2026, 15:57 ET | SPY | Put/call by expiry | SPY puts expiring Jan 15, 2027 traded 2.6x the calls, vs a 1.3x median | https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16/spy-puts-jan-15-2027-put-call-skew |

## Biggest estimated premium by ticker, expiry and type

| Ticker, expiry, type | Est. premium (USD) | Volume (contracts) | Prior open interest |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| QQQ Oct 19 P | $362.8M | 716,682 | 132,830 |
| SPY Oct 19 P | $319.7M | 986,117 | 295,806 |
| TSLA Oct 16 P | $305.4M | 881,972 | 222,298 |
| META Oct 16 P | $188.2M | 256,366 | 96,655 |
| AMD Oct 16 P | $126.6M | 155,212 | 85,917 |
| TSLA Oct 19 P | $104.9M | 211,008 | 24,725 |
| SPY Oct 19 C | $102.8M | 780,430 | 94,121 |
| QQQ Oct 20 P | $90.9M | 174,698 | 59,421 |
| QQQ Oct 19 C | $86.2M | 634,178 | 89,462 |
| SPY Oct 20 P | $82.3M | 240,745 | 132,468 |

## Volume vs prior open interest by ticker, expiry and type (open interest >= 5,000)

| Ticker, expiry, type | Volume / prior OI | Volume (contracts) | Prior open interest |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| TSLA Oct 19 C | 9.3x | 364,176 | 39,232 |
| TSLA Oct 19 P | 8.5x | 211,008 | 24,725 |
| SPY Oct 19 C | 8.3x | 780,430 | 94,121 |
| AMD Oct 19 C | 8.0x | 45,841 | 5,767 |
| IWM Oct 19 P | 7.7x | 171,184 | 22,221 |
| QQQ Oct 19 C | 7.1x | 634,178 | 89,462 |
| TSLA Oct 16 C | 6.8x | 1,405,165 | 206,790 |
| AAPL Oct 19 P | 5.7x | 137,690 | 23,967 |
| AAPL Oct 19 C | 5.6x | 149,061 | 26,440 |
| QQQ Oct 19 P | 5.4x | 716,682 | 132,830 |

## Put/call volume ratio by ticker and expiry (volume >= 5,000)

| Ticker, expiry | Put/call volume ratio | Put contracts | Call contracts |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| TSLA Jan 19 '29 | 5.52 | 6,238 | 1,130 |
| AMD Nov 13 | 4.64 | 5,269 | 1,136 |
| AMD Mar 19 '27 | 3.42 | 5,033 | 1,471 |
| PLTR Dec 18 | 3.40 | 37,452 | 11,009 |
| NVDA Jan 21 '28 | 3.20 | 18,716 | 5,853 |
| SOFI Nov 20 | 0.09 | 12,912 | 144,425 |
| SOFI Mar 19 '27 | 0.10 | 936 | 9,112 |
| XOM Nov 20 | 0.14 | 1,149 | 7,969 |
| BAC Jan 15 '27 | 0.15 | 1,249 | 8,357 |
| XOM Oct 23 | 0.18 | 4,327 | 24,695 |

12 cells withheld: fewer than 3 traded contracts.

## Open interest rose at the latest settlement, by ticker, expiry and type (2026-10-15)

| Ticker, expiry, type | Change (contracts) | Open interest |
|---|---:|---:|
| SPY Oct 19 P | +201,858 | 295,806 |
| EWZ Oct 30 P | +175,990 | 643,398 |
| NVDA Nov 20 C | +144,224 | 912,505 |
| XLF Dec 15 '28 P | +76,464 | 415,708 |
| XLP Jan 19 '29 P | +60,138 | 95,853 |
| INTC Oct 23 C | +54,161 | 213,347 |
| MSTR Oct 23 C | +44,493 | 94,999 |
| XLE Dec 17 '27 P | +41,960 | 299,464 |
| GRAB Jun 17 '27 P | +41,159 | 74,531 |
| TSLA Oct 19 C | +34,428 | 73,322 |

Open interest change, not trades; it does not say which side opened or closed.

## Limits

- **Delayed at least 15 minutes.** Every figure is published at least 15 minutes after the chain capture it describes, and stamped with that capture time in Eastern time.
- **21 symbols intraday, about 200 end of day.** Intraday snapshots cover a fixed list of 21 symbols (major stocks, ETFs and the SPX index), not every optionable symbol. Open interest changes cover about 200 symbols from the nightly Cboe settlement archive.
- **The strikes we track, not the full book.** A chain capture is a window: up to 40 strikes around the money in each expiration from the Schwab chain, or every strike in the nearest expirations from the Cboe delayed chain. Totals, shares and ratios describe the strikes captured, and each snapshot states its own coverage.
- **Thin cells are withheld.** Every published total, ratio and share rests on at least 3 traded contracts (volume above zero; for open interest change, contracts whose open interest changed). A call or put side of one expiry below that is left out of every figure, shown as withheld, and counted in a footnote, so no difference between published numbers recovers it.
- **Session totals, not trades.** Volume is the session total read from chain snapshots, aggregated to ticker, expiry and call or put. There is no trade-by-trade record behind it, and no single trade is shown.
- **No buyer, seller or direction.** A chain cannot say who bought or sold, whether a contract was opened or closed, or whether it was one leg of a spread. Calls can be sold and puts can hedge stock, so no snapshot carries a direction.
- **Premium is an estimate.** Estimated premium is volume times the quote midpoint times 100 shares. It is labelled "est." wherever it appears.
- **Open interest arrives the next day.** Open interest is the prior settlement figure. Whether contracts stayed open is only known after the next settlement, which is when each snapshot gets its follow-up.

Hub: https://squawkflow.com/options-flow

## Citation

Source: SquawkFlow, https://squawkflow.com/options-flow/2026-10-16
Retrieved: 2026-10-17 08:51 ET
Attribution: cite the page URL rather than a copied number. Levels are
recomputed every session, so a number without its date is wrong within a day.

SquawkFlow publishes market-structure data and education. Nothing here is
investment advice, a price target or a recommendation, and we have no order
execution.