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What Is Max Pain (Options Trading)?

Stock Trading Strategies

Max pain trading is a theory that suggests that the price of an option contract will tend to gravitate towards a price at which the maximum number of option holders will experience the greatest financial pain, or loss. The idea behind max pain theory is that the options market makers and other market participants who hold a large number of options contracts will attempt to manipulate the price of the underlying security in a way that will cause the maximum financial pain for option holders.

According to max pain theory, the market makers and other option holders will try to push the price of the underlying security in a direction that will result in the largest number of options expiring out of the money, meaning that the option holder will not be able to exercise the option and will instead lose the premium they paid for the option.

There is some debate among market participants and analysts about the validity of max pain theory, and it is not a widely accepted or proven trading strategy. Some market participants may use max pain theory as a way to inform their trading decisions, but it is important to carefully consider the risks and uncertainties involved in any trading strategy and to use it as only one of many factors in a well-diversified portfolio.


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