Unusual Options Activity Scanner
Find the contracts trading well above their normal volume — before the crowd.
Unusual options activity (UOA) is when a contract trades at volume far above its typical level relative to open interest, often signalling a new, conviction-driven position. The Pushing Profits UOA scanner flags these contracts live across 280+ symbols so you can spot where unusual money is flowing before it shows up in the headlines.
What is the Unusual Options Activity Scanner?
Most options barely trade. So when a single contract suddenly does many times its normal volume — especially more volume than its existing open interest — that's a fresh position being opened, not routine churn. That's the definition of unusual activity.
Our scanner watches volume against open interest and historical norms in real time. Instead of you eyeballing chains all day, it surfaces the standout contracts automatically and ranks the most unusual ones.
It runs on the same institutional Schwab feed as our options flow, so the data is live and accurate, with honest empty states when a feed is briefly unavailable.
How to read it
- Volume vs open interest: Volume that dwarfs existing open interest means traders are opening new positions today — the core signal of UOA.
- Sizzle / unusualness: How far today's activity is above the contract's normal baseline. Higher means more unusual.
- Direction: Whether the unusual activity is in calls or puts, and how aggressively those contracts are being bought.
- Premium committed: The dollars behind the activity — a filter for separating meaningful bets from small speculative flyers.
Use cases
- Early-warning radar: Surface names quietly attracting unusual positioning before they break out or break down.
- Idea generation: Turn a screen of unusual contracts into a focused watchlist for the day.
- Event anticipation: Unusual activity often clusters ahead of catalysts; use it to flag names worth a closer look.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as 'unusual' options activity?
Contracts trading at volume well above their normal level relative to open interest and historical norms. That pattern usually means a new, conviction-driven position is being opened.
How is UOA different from raw options flow?
Flow shows every meaningful order; UOA filters specifically for contracts behaving abnormally versus their own baseline, so it's a tighter, more curated signal.
Does it cover puts as well as calls?
Yes. Unusual activity is flagged for both calls and puts, with the aggression of the buying shown.
Is the data live?
Yes — it runs on a direct institutional Schwab feed. There is no mock, fallback, or synthetic data.