Options Skew Analytics

MCD options analytics

MCD · Stock

Data as of 23 September 2026 (end of day)

MCD options are pricing a 30-day at-the-money volatility of 22.4%, a move of about ±6.4% over the next month. That is higher than 85% of the 232 sessions in its trailing year.

Its 25-delta calls carry 0.29 volatility points more than the puts, closer together than on 97% of the past year.

Longer-dated options carry more: 90-day volatility is 7% above 30-day.

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

Across its last 3 reports the options market priced an average move of ±4.3% and MCD moved 2.4% on average, staying inside the priced band 2 times out of 3.

Current readings

30-day ATM implied volatilityⓘ
22.38%

Prices a move of about ±6.4% over 30 days, or ±1.4% on a typical day.

Higher than 85% of the past year.

25-delta risk reversalⓘ
-0.29

Calls carry 0.29 volatility points more than puts the same distance from the money.

Higher than 3% of the past year.

25-delta butterflyⓘ
-0.14

The wings carry 0.14 volatility points less than at-the-money.

Term structure slopeⓘ
1.075

90-day volatility is 7% above 30-day.

Higher than 55% of the past year.

Where 30-day implied volatility sits

Against 232 prior sessions (one-year window)

22.4% — 85th percentile
14.3%38.1%
IV percentile, 1 year
85%
IV rank, 1 year
34%
IV percentile, 2 years
85%
IV rank, 2 years
34%

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
$238.32
30-day implied forward
$238.90
60-day ATM IV
23.75%
90-day ATM IV
24.06%
180-day ATM IV
25.22%
Expirations used
12
Total open interest
256,913
Put / call open interest
0.74

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 235 sessions

10%20%30%40%26 Aug19 Nov14 Feb13 May23 Sep
Show the underlying numbers (most recent 120)
Session30-day ATM IV25-delta RRTerm slopeClose
2026-09-2322.38%-0.291.075$238.32
2026-09-2222.16%-0.201.069$250.35
2026-09-2122.18%+0.211.078$247.88
2026-09-1821.12%+0.221.115$248.24
2026-09-1721.54%-0.011.092$248.48
2026-09-1622.13%-0.071.084$248.56
2026-09-1521.85%-0.301.087$252.78
2026-09-1421.42%+0.121.095$257.49
2026-09-1120.90%-0.341.110$252.53
2026-09-1021.43%-0.281.110$253.05
2026-09-0921.34%+0.441.100$253.48
2026-09-0821.17%+0.251.104$255.81
2026-09-0420.32%-0.171.114$255.69
2026-09-0320.11%+0.271.122$259.63
2026-09-0219.85%+0.631.122$260.95
2026-09-0119.91%-0.481.134$261.11
2026-08-3119.65%-0.781.135$263.54
2026-08-2820.10%+0.381.110$265.00
2026-08-2620.27%-0.171.104$266.93
2026-08-2520.41%-0.411.097$268.10
2026-08-2420.83%+0.041.093$272.54
2026-08-2120.37%-0.231.132$270.95
2026-08-2020.31%-0.821.124$269.13
2026-08-1920.45%+0.111.114$267.45
2026-08-1820.07%-0.411.122$266.99
2026-08-1720.33%-0.141.102$265.53
2025-06-3018.20%+2.581.072$292.17
2025-06-2716.93%+1.041.158$291.55
2025-06-2617.12%+0.591.158$285.63
2025-06-2518.07%+1.981.091$285.55
2025-06-2417.21%+2.201.128$291.47
2025-06-2317.21%+2.611.151$289.52
2025-06-2018.43%+2.761.135$287.46
2025-06-1818.27%+1.631.128$289.63
2025-06-1718.20%+2.141.136$292.31
2025-06-1617.89%+2.371.140$296.29
2025-06-1317.79%+2.391.135$301.91
2025-06-1216.80%+2.151.167$303.16
2025-06-1117.06%+1.841.148$301.72
2025-06-1016.97%+2.071.160$300.43
2025-06-0916.57%+2.781.165$304.78
2025-06-0616.61%+1.921.169$307.36
2025-06-0517.84%+3.201.105$308.98
2025-06-0417.43%+2.101.134$311.57
2025-06-0317.31%+2.471.129$312.39
2025-06-0217.98%+1.641.110$312.68
2025-05-3017.11%+2.301.154$313.85
2025-05-2917.79%+2.821.114$311.86
2025-05-2817.92%+3.291.099$312.84
2025-05-2717.51%+3.031.125$314.95
2025-05-2318.07%+3.061.146$314.57
2025-05-2218.21%+3.051.134$314.31
2025-05-2117.96%+3.361.117$316.44
2025-05-2017.76%+2.851.114$319.80
2025-05-1917.51%+2.691.104$321.23
2025-05-1616.46%+2.461.158$318.61
2025-05-1517.00%+2.671.095$314.48
2025-05-1418.44%+3.391.018$307.50
2025-05-1317.46%+2.481.064$308.69
2025-05-1217.86%+3.341.036$311.92
2025-05-0918.47%+4.161.072$313.68
2025-05-0819.10%+4.061.046$313.49
2025-05-0719.10%+3.641.040$318.13
2025-05-0619.36%+4.141.030$316.79
2025-05-0519.70%+3.971.019$315.72
2025-05-0218.57%+2.881.042$311.96
2025-05-0120.09%+4.200.989$313.64
2025-04-3024.40%+2.490.892$319.65
2025-04-2924.49%+4.570.908$314.50
2025-04-2824.52%+4.490.890$316.81
2025-04-2523.89%+5.310.901$316.74
2025-04-2424.54%+4.960.885$316.22
2025-04-2326.15%+2.040.857$318.48
2025-04-2225.90%+4.550.862$319.08
2025-04-2126.58%+5.970.878$308.72
2025-04-1725.71%+4.890.860$311.30
2025-04-1626.72%+6.740.871$309.10
2025-04-1525.31%+5.650.874$312.48
2025-04-1426.77%+6.080.887$316.07
2025-04-1127.37%+6.300.890$309.90
2025-04-1032.10%+7.320.815$306.78
2025-04-09———$303.96
2025-04-0838.08%+9.390.783$299.83
2025-04-0734.62%+6.920.828$299.89
2025-04-04———$300.11
2025-04-0325.64%+3.220.868$318.27
2025-04-0222.34%+2.720.923$311.58
2025-04-0121.29%+3.910.987$313.63
2025-03-3121.97%+2.350.938$312.37
2025-03-2819.61%+3.161.037$307.09
2025-03-2717.80%+3.221.096$312.69
2025-03-2619.79%+3.191.008$313.58
2025-03-2517.52%+1.391.125$306.92
2025-03-2419.45%+2.211.030$305.67
2025-03-2118.54%+2.371.078$305.44
2025-03-2019.62%+1.301.028$307.00
2025-03-1919.47%+2.441.073$306.92
2025-03-1821.00%+2.091.000$303.60
2025-03-1719.60%+1.941.046$303.97
2025-03-1421.06%+2.620.991$299.83
2025-03-1323.10%+3.080.997$297.50
2025-03-1222.51%+3.230.987$299.40
2025-03-1123.55%+3.270.977$306.76
2025-03-1023.06%+3.420.954$317.25
2025-03-0719.65%+2.201.049$321.29
2025-03-0618.92%+2.431.051$310.37
2025-03-0518.29%+1.921.079$307.45
2025-03-0419.99%+2.041.010$305.77
2025-03-0319.28%+2.841.013$304.29
2025-02-2817.97%+2.341.066$308.33
2025-02-2718.92%+2.461.021$309.95
2025-02-2618.40%+2.481.019$304.27
2025-02-2517.82%+2.271.060$310.72
2025-02-2417.79%+2.691.047$307.57
2025-02-2117.27%+2.921.074$304.81
2025-02-2016.36%+2.691.074$303.05
2025-02-1916.12%+2.281.102$301.94
2025-02-1815.55%+1.861.093$304.83
2025-02-1415.70%+0.821.080$308.55
2025-02-1315.75%+1.851.068$310.02

The chart covers every session in the archive, 235 in total. The table lists the most recent 120.

25-delta risk reversal

Last 235 sessions

-5.00.05.010.015.026 Aug19 Nov14 Feb13 May23 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

2d (2026-09-25) · 9d (2026-10-02) · 16d (2026-10-09)

20%25%30%35%2026-09-25 (2d) — 5Δ C — IV 33.22%2026-09-25 (2d) — 10Δ C — IV 29.33%2026-09-25 (2d) — 15Δ C — IV 29.22%2026-09-25 (2d) — 20Δ C — IV 29.12%2026-09-25 (2d) — 25Δ C — IV 29.01%2026-09-25 (2d) — 30Δ C — IV 28.88%2026-09-25 (2d) — 35Δ C — IV 28.75%2026-09-25 (2d) — 40Δ C — IV 28.56%2026-09-25 (2d) — 45Δ C — IV 28.35%2026-09-25 (2d) — ATM — IV 28.19%2026-09-25 (2d) — 45Δ P — IV 28.16%2026-09-25 (2d) — 40Δ P — IV 28.28%2026-09-25 (2d) — 35Δ P — IV 28.50%2026-09-25 (2d) — 30Δ P — IV 28.68%2026-09-25 (2d) — 25Δ P — IV 28.68%2026-09-25 (2d) — 20Δ P — IV 28.53%2026-09-25 (2d) — 15Δ P — IV 28.36%2026-09-25 (2d) — 10Δ P — IV 28.42%2026-09-25 (2d) — 5Δ P — IV 29.27%2d2026-10-02 (9d) — 5Δ C — IV 26.04%2026-10-02 (9d) — 10Δ C — IV 24.55%2026-10-02 (9d) — 15Δ C — IV 24.08%2026-10-02 (9d) — 20Δ C — IV 24.27%2026-10-02 (9d) — 25Δ C — IV 24.40%2026-10-02 (9d) — 30Δ C — IV 23.92%2026-10-02 (9d) — 35Δ C — IV 23.64%2026-10-02 (9d) — 40Δ C — IV 23.48%2026-10-02 (9d) — 45Δ C — IV 23.37%2026-10-02 (9d) — ATM — IV 23.28%2026-10-02 (9d) — 45Δ P — IV 23.25%2026-10-02 (9d) — 40Δ P — IV 23.31%2026-10-02 (9d) — 35Δ P — IV 23.35%2026-10-02 (9d) — 30Δ P — IV 23.21%2026-10-02 (9d) — 25Δ P — IV 23.02%2026-10-02 (9d) — 20Δ P — IV 23.35%2026-10-02 (9d) — 15Δ P — IV 23.71%2026-10-02 (9d) — 10Δ P — IV 23.89%2026-10-02 (9d) — 5Δ P — IV 25.96%9d2026-10-09 (16d) — 10Δ C — IV 23.33%2026-10-09 (16d) — 15Δ C — IV 22.81%2026-10-09 (16d) — 20Δ C — IV 22.60%2026-10-09 (16d) — 25Δ C — IV 22.56%2026-10-09 (16d) — 30Δ C — IV 22.34%2026-10-09 (16d) — 35Δ C — IV 22.06%2026-10-09 (16d) — 40Δ C — IV 22.13%2026-10-09 (16d) — 45Δ C — IV 22.34%2026-10-09 (16d) — ATM — IV 22.35%2026-10-09 (16d) — 45Δ P — IV 22.33%2026-10-09 (16d) — 40Δ P — IV 22.24%2026-10-09 (16d) — 35Δ P — IV 22.16%2026-10-09 (16d) — 30Δ P — IV 22.10%2026-10-09 (16d) — 25Δ P — IV 22.09%2026-10-09 (16d) — 20Δ P — IV 22.10%2026-10-09 (16d) — 15Δ P — IV 22.26%16d10Δ 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
Delta2d9d16d
5Δ call33.22%26.04%—
10Δ call29.33%24.55%23.33%
15Δ call29.22%24.08%22.81%
20Δ call29.12%24.27%22.60%
25Δ call29.01%24.40%22.56%
30Δ call28.88%23.92%22.34%
35Δ call28.75%23.64%22.06%
40Δ call28.56%23.48%22.13%
45Δ call28.35%23.37%22.34%
ATM28.19%23.28%22.35%
45Δ put28.16%23.25%22.33%
40Δ put28.28%23.31%22.24%
35Δ put28.50%23.35%22.16%
30Δ put28.68%23.21%22.10%
25Δ put28.68%23.02%22.09%
20Δ put28.53%23.35%22.10%
15Δ put28.36%23.71%22.26%
10Δ put28.42%23.89%—
5Δ put29.27%25.96%—

Wing readings by expiration

ExpirationDaysForwardATM IV25Δ put25Δ callRRButterflyQuotes
2026-09-252$237.9228.19%28.68%29.01%-0.32+0.6513
2026-10-029$238.2123.28%23.02%24.40%-1.38+0.4319
2026-10-0916$238.5022.35%22.09%22.56%-0.47-0.0215
2026-10-1623$238.7021.98%22.23%22.46%-0.23+0.3723
2026-10-2330$238.9022.38%22.10%22.39%-0.29-0.1410
2026-10-3037$238.8722.11%22.22%22.42%-0.21+0.2113
2026-11-2058$239.7223.71%24.13%23.94%+0.19+0.3223
2026-12-1886$238.9424.05%24.19%24.19%-0.00+0.1425
2027-01-15114$239.5924.09%24.22%24.38%-0.16+0.2122
2027-03-19177$240.3125.19%25.34%24.78%+0.57-0.1336
2027-06-17267$241.4725.75%25.84%25.68%+0.16+0.0128
2027-09-17359$243.0625.97%26.09%25.79%+0.30-0.0328

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

12 listed expirations produced a usable reading

20%22%24%26%28%30%2026-09-25 — 2 days — at-the-money IV 28.19%2026-10-02 — 9 days — at-the-money IV 23.28%2026-10-09 — 16 days — at-the-money IV 22.35%2026-10-16 — 23 days — at-the-money IV 21.98%2026-10-23 — 30 days — at-the-money IV 22.38%2026-10-30 — 37 days — at-the-money IV 22.11%2026-11-20 — 58 days — at-the-money IV 23.71%2026-12-18 — 86 days — at-the-money IV 24.05%2027-01-15 — 114 days — at-the-money IV 24.09%2027-03-19 — 177 days — at-the-money IV 25.19%2027-06-17 — 267 days — at-the-money IV 25.75%2027-09-17 — 359 days — at-the-money IV 25.97%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
2026-09-252 days$237.9228.19%$237.9713
2026-10-029 days$238.2123.28%$238.3619
2026-10-0916 days$238.5022.35%$238.7615
2026-10-1623 days$238.7021.98%$239.0723
2026-10-2330 days$238.9022.38%$239.3910
2026-10-3037 days$238.8722.11%$239.4613
2026-11-2058 days$239.7223.71%$240.8023
2026-12-1886 days$238.9424.05%$240.5725
2027-01-15114 days$239.5924.09%$241.7822
2027-03-19177 days$240.3125.19%$244.0336
2027-06-17267 days$241.4725.75%$247.4028
2027-09-17359 days$243.0625.97%$251.2528

Constant maturities

Interpolated between the bracketing listed expirations, in total variance

30 days
22.38%
60 days
23.75%
90 days
24.06%
180 days
25.22%

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 235 sessions

0.600.801.001.201.4026 Aug19 Nov14 Feb13 May23 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 3 reports

Landed inside the implied band
2 of 3
67% — about 68% is what an exactly-priced event gives
Mean implied move
4.3%
Mean move that happened
2.4%
absolute

Reports

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

ReportSessionImplied ±RealisedRealised / implied
2026-08-04Before the open———
2026-05-07Before the open———
2026-02-11After the close———
2025-11-05Before the open———
2025-08-06Before the open———
2025-05-01Before the open4.0%-1.9%0.47×
2025-02-10Before the open4.6%+4.8%1.05×
2024-10-29Before the open4.4%-0.6%0.14×
2024-07-29Before the open———
2024-04-30Before the open———
2024-02-05Before the open———
2023-10-30Before 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.