Options Skew Analytics

CVS options analytics

CVS · Stock

Data as of 22 September 2026 (end of day)

CVS options are pricing a 30-day at-the-money volatility of 31.3%, a move of about ±9.0% over the next month. That is higher than 43% of the 226 sessions in its trailing year.

Its 25-delta puts carry 1.24 volatility points more than the calls, around the middle of its own range for the past year.

Its next earnings report is 2026-11-04 (estimated from its reporting cadence).

Across its last 4 reports the options market priced an average move of ±8.6% and CVS moved 8.9% on average, staying inside the priced band 1 times out of 4.

Current readings

30-day ATM implied volatilityⓘ
31.29%

Prices a move of about ±9.0% over 30 days, or ±2.0% on a typical day.

Higher than 43% of the past year.

25-delta risk reversalⓘ
+1.24

Puts carry 1.24 volatility points more than calls the same distance from the money.

Higher than 23% of the past year.

25-delta butterflyⓘ
-0.06

The wings carry 0.06 volatility points less than at-the-money.

Term structure slopeⓘ
1.012

90-day volatility is 1% above 30-day.

Higher than 35% of the past year.

Where 30-day implied volatility sits

Against 226 prior sessions (one-year window)

31.3% — 43th percentile
25.2%54.9%
IV percentile, 1 year
43%
IV rank, 1 year
20%
IV percentile, 2 years
43%
IV rank, 2 years
20%

Rank is the position between the lowest and highest readings in the window, so a single past extreme pins everything after it near one end. Percentile is the share of sessions below the current reading and is unaffected by how far that extreme reached. Both are withheld when the window holds fewer than 180 sessions.

Session detail

Underlying close
$87.10
30-day implied forward
$87.39
60-day ATM IV
33.12%
90-day ATM IV
31.65%
180-day ATM IV
31.69%
Expirations used
13
Total open interest
181,151
Put / call open interest
0.70

The forward is derived from put-call parity on the strikes nearest the money, not taken from the underlying close. It is what every moneyness and delta on this page is measured against.

30-day at-the-money implied volatility

Last 228 sessions

20%30%40%50%60%30 Aug22 Nov18 Feb9 May22 Sep
Show the underlying numbers (most recent 120)
Session30-day ATM IV25-delta RRTerm slopeClose
2026-09-2231.29%+1.241.012$87.10
2026-09-2129.98%+2.391.049$87.60
2026-09-1830.53%+1.131.049$88.84
2026-09-1729.85%+1.531.006$90.27
2026-09-1629.75%+1.491.024$91.72
2026-09-1529.47%+1.581.051$94.49
2026-09-1430.02%+1.841.020$95.55
2026-09-1128.10%+0.801.126$94.66
2026-09-1029.07%-1.631.080$95.29
2026-09-0929.80%+0.481.050$95.38
2026-09-0831.55%+0.371.002$96.07
2026-09-0427.52%+0.891.131$96.74
2026-09-0326.90%+1.111.132$97.20
2026-09-0227.52%+0.881.125$97.23
2026-09-0129.05%+0.651.054$97.60
2026-08-3126.30%+0.521.147$93.91
2026-08-2828.01%+2.001.116$93.06
2026-08-2726.07%-0.651.201$92.92
2026-08-2625.82%+1.271.223$94.32
2026-08-2527.84%+0.191.104$92.90
2026-08-2427.24%+2.201.155$94.11
2026-08-2127.04%-0.181.211$93.02
2026-08-2025.94%+0.161.213$93.65
2025-06-3034.63%+4.380.908$68.98
2025-06-2730.01%+2.881.112$68.49
2025-06-2628.22%+3.521.132$68.14
2025-06-2526.75%+5.441.190$66.37
2025-06-2427.51%+3.451.151$67.58
2025-06-2328.73%+1.491.137$66.81
2025-06-20———$66.57
2025-06-1827.47%+3.631.208$66.84
2025-06-1728.31%+1.941.177$67.09
2025-06-1635.36%+3.130.961$67.71
2025-06-1327.16%+3.071.199$67.46
2025-06-1227.15%+3.301.225$66.35
2025-06-1127.02%+2.621.223$65.72
2025-06-1027.09%+3.571.225$64.26
2025-06-0928.02%+3.241.201$63.86
2025-06-0628.78%+1.331.168$63.58
2025-06-0529.03%+3.041.155$63.08
2025-06-0428.54%+2.901.190$63.57
2025-06-0329.50%+5.821.161$63.59
2025-06-0229.53%+3.381.159$63.60
2025-05-3029.73%+2.831.140$64.04
2025-05-2928.98%+3.511.176$62.78
2025-05-2830.20%+5.021.125$62.45
2025-05-2731.21%+1.851.111$61.34
2025-05-2332.02%+4.161.100$60.83
2025-05-2230.99%+3.541.125$60.22
2025-05-2130.24%+4.701.127$62.11
2025-05-2029.87%+3.911.110$63.74
2025-05-1930.65%+3.171.098$62.78
2025-05-1630.83%+4.501.093$62.53
2025-05-1531.98%+2.491.093$60.47
2025-05-1433.63%+4.041.022$60.04
2025-05-1333.51%+3.181.014$60.50
2025-05-1229.40%+4.621.075$64.81
2025-05-0927.25%+2.921.161$66.97
2025-05-0827.62%+3.421.129$67.85
2025-05-0727.79%+3.851.146$66.78
2025-05-0628.36%+5.381.130$66.23
2025-05-0528.30%+4.471.108$67.10
2025-05-0227.75%+3.651.078$67.46
2025-05-0126.68%+1.991.101$69.45
2025-04-3037.08%+10.390.876$66.71
2025-04-2939.08%+5.330.866$65.03
2025-04-2841.88%+6.270.819$64.93
2025-04-2537.85%+5.570.857$65.32
2025-04-2440.69%+5.090.833$65.92
2025-04-2341.75%+4.680.815$65.57
2025-04-2240.65%+6.850.851$65.45
2025-04-2146.49%+8.410.791$65.17
2025-04-1742.71%+5.890.805$67.29
2025-04-1638.92%+7.160.831$68.55
2025-04-1538.39%+4.690.849$68.92
2025-04-1438.71%+7.890.839$69.20
2025-04-1140.32%+7.390.849$69.51
2025-04-1043.00%+6.930.817$68.97
2025-04-0937.27%+8.520.875$70.18
2025-04-0849.14%+8.510.827$67.63
2025-04-0754.93%+11.610.733$63.85
2025-04-0451.08%+10.930.777$63.66
2025-04-0342.23%+8.400.810$67.51
2025-04-0244.16%+2.420.744$68.07
2025-04-0136.44%+5.670.909$67.98
2025-03-3138.48%+4.560.872$67.75
2025-03-2835.10%+4.240.953$67.14
2025-03-2733.15%+2.890.988$67.59
2025-03-2631.59%+4.781.045$67.20
2025-03-2529.04%+2.701.117$66.48
2025-03-2430.28%+2.741.054$67.57
2025-03-2131.75%+1.010.970$67.05
2025-03-2030.86%+3.021.064$68.64
2025-03-1932.41%+2.771.058$67.91
2025-03-1833.56%+0.660.985$67.57
2025-03-1733.55%+1.831.088$66.65
2025-03-1433.42%+2.511.059$65.68
2025-03-1334.71%+2.521.057$65.75
2025-03-1234.59%+2.431.058$64.84
2025-03-1141.34%+1.910.891$64.98
2025-03-1035.91%+2.410.994$65.23
2025-03-0731.92%+1.671.154$66.33
2025-03-0632.98%+3.341.090$65.25
2025-03-0531.55%+1.981.161$65.95
2025-03-0432.40%+2.221.093$64.21
2025-03-0332.01%+2.101.129$64.90
2025-02-2831.35%+1.541.109$65.72
2025-02-2732.03%+1.891.096$64.48
2025-02-2632.07%+3.241.080$63.86
2025-02-2533.06%+0.701.075$63.66
2025-02-2431.68%+1.241.115$63.02
2025-02-2130.69%+2.021.121$63.48
2025-02-2028.39%+1.501.185$65.09
2025-02-1927.48%+0.151.207$66.40
2025-02-1829.25%+1.151.132$65.57
2025-02-1426.57%+1.131.259$65.83
2025-02-1328.71%+1.371.170$66.37
2025-02-1228.98%-0.201.136$63.22
2025-02-1146.30%+3.070.884$55.00
2025-02-1044.07%+2.700.894$54.29

The chart covers every session in the archive, 228 in total. The table lists the most recent 120.

25-delta risk reversal

Last 228 sessions

-5.00.05.010.015.030 Aug22 Nov18 Feb9 May22 Sep

The dashed line marks zero, where the 25-delta put and call carry the same implied volatility.

Skew curve

Implied volatility by delta, front expirations

Implied volatility by delta

3d (2026-09-25) · 10d (2026-10-02) · 17d (2026-10-09)

26%28%30%32%34%2026-09-25 (3d) — 5Δ C — IV 33.17%2026-09-25 (3d) — 10Δ C — IV 32.00%2026-09-25 (3d) — 15Δ C — IV 31.66%2026-09-25 (3d) — 20Δ C — IV 31.50%2026-09-25 (3d) — 25Δ C — IV 31.36%2026-09-25 (3d) — 30Δ C — IV 31.10%2026-09-25 (3d) — 35Δ C — IV 30.84%2026-09-25 (3d) — 40Δ C — IV 30.77%2026-09-25 (3d) — 45Δ C — IV 30.85%2026-09-25 (3d) — ATM — IV 30.99%2026-09-25 (3d) — 45Δ P — IV 31.15%2026-09-25 (3d) — 40Δ P — IV 31.35%2026-09-25 (3d) — 35Δ P — IV 31.59%2026-09-25 (3d) — 30Δ P — IV 31.77%2026-09-25 (3d) — 25Δ P — IV 31.87%2026-09-25 (3d) — 20Δ P — IV 31.94%3d2026-10-02 (10d) — 20Δ C — IV 28.35%2026-10-02 (10d) — 25Δ C — IV 28.21%2026-10-02 (10d) — 30Δ C — IV 28.31%2026-10-02 (10d) — 35Δ C — IV 28.52%2026-10-02 (10d) — 40Δ C — IV 28.38%2026-10-02 (10d) — 45Δ C — IV 28.25%2026-10-02 (10d) — ATM — IV 28.37%2026-10-02 (10d) — 45Δ P — IV 28.53%2026-10-02 (10d) — 40Δ P — IV 28.66%2026-10-02 (10d) — 35Δ P — IV 28.78%2026-10-02 (10d) — 30Δ P — IV 28.90%2026-10-02 (10d) — 25Δ P — IV 29.10%2026-10-02 (10d) — 20Δ P — IV 29.46%2026-10-02 (10d) — 15Δ P — IV 30.13%2026-10-02 (10d) — 10Δ P — IV 31.17%10d2026-10-09 (17d) — 10Δ C — IV 31.21%2026-10-09 (17d) — 15Δ C — IV 31.30%2026-10-09 (17d) — 20Δ C — IV 30.35%2026-10-09 (17d) — 25Δ C — IV 30.27%2026-10-09 (17d) — 30Δ C — IV 30.31%2026-10-09 (17d) — 35Δ C — IV 30.46%2026-10-09 (17d) — 40Δ C — IV 30.57%2026-10-09 (17d) — 45Δ C — IV 30.47%2026-10-09 (17d) — ATM — IV 30.49%2026-10-09 (17d) — 45Δ P — IV 30.63%2026-10-09 (17d) — 40Δ P — IV 30.82%2026-10-09 (17d) — 35Δ P — IV 30.82%2026-10-09 (17d) — 30Δ P — IV 30.90%2026-10-09 (17d) — 25Δ P — IV 31.04%2026-10-09 (17d) — 20Δ P — IV 31.06%2026-10-09 (17d) — 15Δ P — IV 32.34%17d10Δ C25Δ CATM25Δ P10Δ Pout-of-the-money calls ← delta → out-of-the-money puts

The axis is call delta. Readings to the right of the dashed centre line are taken from the out-of-the-money put at that strike, which is the contract whose quote the volatility was solved from. Points are only plotted where surviving quotes bracket the delta on both sides; nothing is extrapolated past the last traded strike.

Show the underlying numbers
Delta3d10d17d
5Δ call33.17%——
10Δ call32.00%—31.21%
15Δ call31.66%—31.30%
20Δ call31.50%28.35%30.35%
25Δ call31.36%28.21%30.27%
30Δ call31.10%28.31%30.31%
35Δ call30.84%28.52%30.46%
40Δ call30.77%28.38%30.57%
45Δ call30.85%28.25%30.47%
ATM30.99%28.37%30.49%
45Δ put31.15%28.53%30.63%
40Δ put31.35%28.66%30.82%
35Δ put31.59%28.78%30.82%
30Δ put31.77%28.90%30.90%
25Δ put31.87%29.10%31.04%
20Δ put31.94%29.46%31.06%
15Δ put—30.13%32.34%
10Δ put—31.17%—

Wing readings by expiration

ExpirationDaysForwardATM IV25Δ put25Δ callRRButterflyQuotes
2026-09-253$87.2830.99%31.87%31.36%+0.51+0.628
2026-10-0210$87.3428.37%29.10%28.21%+0.89+0.2812
2026-10-0917$87.3730.49%31.04%30.27%+0.77+0.1617
2026-10-1624$87.4330.48%31.53%30.10%+1.43+0.3324
2026-10-2331$87.3831.39%31.90%30.68%+1.22-0.1114
2026-10-3038$87.3731.30%32.96%28.91%+4.04-0.3612
2026-11-2059$87.2033.20%34.58%32.44%+2.14+0.3215
2026-12-1887$87.4031.77%32.77%30.68%+2.09-0.0518
2027-01-15115$87.7830.92%32.11%30.11%+2.00+0.1919
2027-02-19150$87.9131.75%33.17%30.86%+2.32+0.2616
2027-03-19178$88.0131.70%33.44%30.77%+2.67+0.4122
2027-06-17268$88.6931.30%33.29%31.18%+2.10+0.9431
2027-09-17360$89.0931.05%32.77%30.70%+2.07+0.6921

Each curve above is one expiration. The vertical position is implied volatility; the horizontal position is the delta of the contract it was read from. For US equities the curve normally slopes upward to the right, meaning out-of-the-money puts carry higher implied volatility than equidistant calls.

The 25-delta risk reversal summarises that slope as a single number: the 25-delta put volatility minus the 25-delta call volatility. The butterfly summarises the curvature: the average of the two wings minus the at-the-money reading.

Term structure

At-the-money implied volatility by expiration

At-the-money implied volatility by expiration

13 listed expirations produced a usable reading

26%28%30%32%34%2026-09-25 — 3 days — at-the-money IV 30.99%2026-10-02 — 10 days — at-the-money IV 28.37%2026-10-09 — 17 days — at-the-money IV 30.49%2026-10-16 — 24 days — at-the-money IV 30.48%2026-10-23 — 31 days — at-the-money IV 31.39%2026-10-30 — 38 days — at-the-money IV 31.30%2026-11-20 — 59 days — at-the-money IV 33.20%2026-12-18 — 87 days — at-the-money IV 31.77%2027-01-15 — 115 days — at-the-money IV 30.92%2027-02-19 — 150 days — at-the-money IV 31.75%2027-03-19 — 178 days — at-the-money IV 31.70%2027-06-17 — 268 days — at-the-money IV 31.30%2027-09-17 — 360 days — at-the-money IV 31.05%7306090180days to expiration

The horizontal axis is the square root of days to expiration, which is the scale volatility lives on. A curve that is flat in variance terms plots as a straight line here rather than bending sharply through the front week.

Show the underlying numbers
ExpirationDaysForwardATM IVATM strikeQuotes used
2026-09-253 days$87.2830.99%$87.318
2026-10-0210 days$87.3428.37%$87.4412
2026-10-0917 days$87.3730.49%$87.5617
2026-10-1624 days$87.4330.48%$87.7024
2026-10-2331 days$87.3831.39%$87.7414
2026-10-3038 days$87.3731.30%$87.8212
2026-11-2059 days$87.2033.20%$87.9815
2026-12-1887 days$87.4031.77%$88.4618
2027-01-15115 days$87.7830.92%$89.1119
2027-02-19150 days$87.9131.75%$89.7516
2027-03-19178 days$88.0131.70%$90.1922
2027-06-17268 days$88.6931.30%$91.9331
2027-09-17360 days$89.0931.05%$93.4221

Constant maturities

Interpolated between the bracketing listed expirations, in total variance

30 days
31.29%
60 days
33.12%
90 days
31.65%
180 days
31.69%

Interpolation is linear in total variance, not in volatility. Interpolating volatility directly implies a forward variance that can be negative between two expirations. A tenor beyond the longest listed expiration is reported as unavailable rather than extrapolated.

Term structure slope

Last 228 sessions

0.600.801.001.201.4030 Aug22 Nov18 Feb9 May22 Sep

The dashed line marks 1.00, where the 90-day and 30-day at-the-money volatilities are equal. Above it the longer tenor carries the higher volatility.

The term structure is the at-the-money implied volatility of each listed expiration, plotted against how far away that expiration is. Its usual shape for a calm underlying slopes gently upward, because a longer horizon admits more uncertainty.

It inverts when the market prices a dated event: an expiration that captures a scheduled announcement carries the variance of that event on top of ordinary trading, so a shorter contract can print a higher volatility than a longer one.

Earnings

What the options priced in before each report, and what happened

Next report

2026-11-04Time not statedEstimated from its reporting cadence

How the pricing has held up

Over the last 4 reports

Landed inside the implied band
1 of 4
25% — about 68% is what an exactly-priced event gives
Mean implied move
8.6%
Mean move that happened
8.9%
absolute

Reports

Newest first. The implied move is one standard deviation, priced from the session before the release.

ReportSessionImplied ±RealisedRealised / implied
2026-08-05Before the open———
2026-05-06Before the open———
2026-02-10Before the open———
2025-10-29Before the open———
2025-07-31Before the open———
2025-05-01Before the open9.3%+4.1%0.44×
2025-02-12Before the open10.3%+14.9%1.45×
2024-11-06Before the open10.1%+11.3%1.12×
2024-10-18Before the open4.5%-5.2%1.15×
2024-08-07Before the open———
2024-05-01Before the open———
2024-02-07Before the open———
2024-01-05Before the open———
2023-11-01Before the open———

The implied move is read from the at-the-money straddle on the first expiration strictly after the report date, converted to a one-standard-deviation move and divided by the forward. Realised moves are the close-to-close return across the event, measured from the session before the release to the session after it.

Report dates that have already happened come from the company’s own 8-K filing and are exact. A date still in the future is either one the company has announced, or an estimate from its reporting cadence.