Options Skew Analytics

MRK option chain

Strikes around the forward, as they were quoted at the close

Data as of 24 September 2026 (end of day)

2026-10-02(8 days)ATM 30.64%±6.76skew -0.06
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
11$17.95$20.30—$130.00—————
155$13.20$15.40—$135.00—————
02$11.95$15.05—$136.00—————
36$11.30$13.10—$137.00—————
010$9.95$13.15—$138.00—————
04$9.20$12.15—$139.00—————
1061$8.25$10.90—$140.00—————
77$7.55$9.75—$141.00—————
412$6.30$8.30—$142.00—————
25$5.30$8.15—$143.0030.71%$0.52$0.832321,085
021$5.00$7.95—$144.0030.65%$0.80$0.97620157
2762$4.90$5.20—$145.0030.43%$0.96$1.3041742
279$3.05$4.55—$146.0031.31%$1.35$1.67666
13012$3.55$3.90—$147.0030.70%$1.69$1.9741013
196202$3.05$3.30—$148.0030.76%$2.13$2.3919614
194219$2.54$2.7730.66%$149.00—$2.60$2.873310
1,017409$2.04$2.2930.27%$150.00—$3.10$3.606548
73334$1.20$1.3830.49%$152.50—$4.65$5.051537
129576$0.60$0.7830.24%$155.00—$5.35$8.3510
—————$160.00—$10.20$13.1510
52266$0.01$0.0530.75%$165.00—————

Forward $148.92. The 25-delta put carries -0.06 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

2026-10-09(15 days)ATM 29.11%±8.80skew +1.36
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
02$18.00$21.10—$130.00—————
016$13.00$16.25—$135.00—————
09$11.50$14.45—$137.00—————
01$10.60$13.00—$138.00—————
02$9.55$12.10—$139.00—————
03$8.75$11.65—$140.0031.04%$0.58$0.93261
11$7.90$10.95—$141.00—————
13$6.75$9.30—$142.00—————
09$6.65$9.20—$143.0029.41%$1.09$1.3940
106$6.35$6.85—$144.0029.56%$1.40$1.6540
025$5.70$6.15—$145.0029.65%$1.71$1.98410
018$5.00$5.50—$146.0029.62%$2.06$2.33620
588$4.35$5.25—$147.0029.62%$2.45$2.732931
223$3.90$4.20—$148.0029.79%$2.75$3.351621
65123$3.35$3.80—$149.0029.29%$3.15$3.80230
572$2.90$3.2028.83%$150.00—$3.80$4.30102
12282$1.89$2.1528.38%$152.50—$5.25$5.80350
159532$1.15$1.3928.05%$155.00—$7.10$7.5531
3141,074$0.69$0.8928.23%$157.50—$7.90$10.70510
—————$165.00—$15.95$17.5502
—————$167.50—$17.80$20.6501

Forward $149.10. The 25-delta put carries +1.36 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

2026-10-16(22 days)ATM 28.23%±10.33skew +0.90
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
03,408$18.40$20.20—$130.00—————
01$15.20$17.85—$133.00—————
142,010$13.75$15.70—$135.0030.54%$0.36$0.561,36113
—————$138.0031.15%$0.68$1.1121
—————$139.0029.69%$0.79$1.0940
571,877$9.50$10.95—$140.0029.84%$1.06$1.231,55531
—————$141.0029.46%$1.23$1.42170
—————$142.0029.19%$1.45$1.63366
—————$143.0028.22%$1.43$1.97271
—————$144.0028.95%$1.99$2.20102
142,352$6.25$6.90—$145.0028.93%$2.32$2.551,98224
52$5.65$6.25—$146.0028.54%$2.68$2.84390116
16$5.05$5.75—$147.0028.54%$3.05$3.301716
05$4.55$5.15—$148.0027.31%$3.00$3.903311
8133$3.80$4.50—$149.0028.25%$3.80$4.35644
4335,389$3.60$3.7528.20%$150.00—$4.30$4.951,763171
140339$2.58$2.9328.83%$152.50—$5.80$6.4580
1227,024$1.81$2.0128.44%$155.00—$7.55$8.052500
281,597$1.21$1.3828.29%$157.50—$9.35$10.60042
412,596$0.75$0.9828.34%$160.00—$10.85$12.65890
—————$165.00—$15.50$17.70212

Forward $149.08. The 25-delta put carries +0.90 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

2026-10-23(29 days)ATM 29.31%±12.32skew +1.08
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
01$27.50$31.25—$120.00—————
04$17.95$21.50—$130.00—————
02$13.75$16.35—$135.00—————
01$12.00$14.55—$137.0029.09%$0.82$1.01674
05$9.40$11.90—$140.0028.67%$1.35$1.55387
016$8.65$11.30—$141.0028.53%$1.58$1.77341
01$7.85$9.95—$142.0028.42%$1.83$2.0362
95$8.25$8.95—$143.0028.88%$1.90$2.691382
03$6.45$9.10—$144.0028.36%$2.42$2.68350203
027$5.80$7.70—$145.0028.38%$2.78$3.051622
0416$6.30$7.10—$146.0031.08%$2.98$4.50142
03$5.70$6.40—$147.00—————
08$5.15$5.95—$148.00—————
49$4.35$5.25—$149.0028.44%$4.30$5.1020
3899$4.15$4.9529.75%$150.00—$4.95$5.3032
0191$3.10$3.4028.13%$152.50—$6.25$7.0532
1684$2.20$2.4827.63%$155.00—————
1354$1.54$1.7627.34%$157.50—————
30100$1.06$1.2527.32%$160.00—————
023$0.74$1.0028.15%$162.50—————

Forward $149.10. The 25-delta put carries +1.08 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

2026-10-30(36 days)ATM 33.91%±15.95skew +0.69
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
06$15.65$16.80—$135.0036.33%$1.26$1.941164
—————$136.0035.48%$1.30$2.10140
—————$137.0035.22%$1.65$2.1239
014$12.65$14.35—$138.0035.39%$1.88$2.41111
—————$139.0035.71%$2.08$2.8230
421303$11.30$12.85—$140.0034.43%$2.12$2.962612
20$10.75$12.00—$141.0034.85%$2.55$3.2510
11$10.45$11.25—$142.0035.37%$2.91$3.7040
12$9.25$10.65—$143.0035.65%$3.20$4.2010
01$8.05$9.75—$144.0033.08%$2.96$4.3030
01$8.35$9.25—$145.0034.70%$3.90$4.70870
0798$7.45$9.10—$146.0035.31%$4.30$5.3520
214$6.90$8.10—$147.0033.98%$4.55$5.50221
245$6.70$7.70—$148.0033.91%$5.10$5.8520
94$6.20$7.15—$149.0035.18%$5.70$6.7020
5386$6.00$6.5034.17%$150.00—$6.00$7.0510
05$4.60$5.4533.48%$152.50—$7.60$8.50110
132$3.80$4.5033.89%$155.00—$9.20$9.9020
068$2.89$3.4532.88%$157.50—————
7551$2.12$2.7432.43%$160.00—$12.15$13.6510
221$1.70$2.4533.75%$162.50—————

Forward $149.72. The 25-delta put carries +0.69 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

2026-11-20(57 days)ATM 33.69%±19.94skew +1.42
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
021$48.10$50.95—$100.00—————
030$38.40$41.15—$110.00—————
019$33.70$36.35—$115.00—————
030$29.00$31.65—$120.0037.51%$0.51$0.664541
11,064$24.55$26.95—$125.0036.90%$0.95$1.101,477106
0196$20.20$22.05—$130.0035.74%$1.51$1.741,993111
1126$16.30$18.05—$135.0035.20%$2.50$2.6911,873126
1435$13.10$14.35—$140.0034.44%$3.80$4.002,31049
172,480$10.35$10.60—$145.0034.19%$5.60$5.902,80735
142,818$7.65$7.9533.78%$150.00—$7.90$8.201,38945
411,868$5.50$5.7533.39%$155.00—$10.20$11.353493
1113,531$3.80$4.1033.16%$160.00—$13.45$14.551111
382,314$2.65$2.7533.01%$165.00—$17.05$18.35280
1871,909$1.76$1.8833.05%$170.00—$20.75$23.35370
7843$0.98$1.3232.70%$175.00—$25.40$27.4580
0755$0.59$0.9633.15%$180.00—$29.90$32.4510

Forward $149.75. The 25-delta put carries +1.42 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

2026-12-18(85 days)ATM 32.83%±23.70skew +2.02
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
071$68.35$71.10—$80.00—————
0312$63.40$66.15—$85.00—————
0261$58.50$61.15—$90.00—————
0284$53.55$56.25—$95.00—————
0726$49.00$51.35—$100.00—————
02,243$43.80$46.50—$105.00—————
52,370$39.40$41.55—$110.00—————
0598$34.60$36.40—$115.0036.47%$0.52$0.831,4180
5558$30.00$32.40—$120.0036.08%$0.94$1.311,048858
1987$26.20$26.85—$125.0034.73%$1.47$1.817904
01,457$21.85$23.30—$130.0034.59%$2.47$2.661,44163
51,629$18.20$19.25—$135.0034.02%$3.60$3.85781110
33,383$14.70$15.40—$140.0033.53%$5.10$5.401,222120
4904$11.55$12.45—$145.0033.19%$7.05$7.351,24137
421,815$9.05$9.3532.90%$150.00—$9.40$9.752865
383,122$6.95$7.1532.67%$155.00—$11.80$12.804600
321,658$5.10$5.4532.39%$160.00—$15.10$15.80392
1091,054$3.75$4.0032.18%$165.00—$18.80$20.70240
2613,504$2.71$2.8732.00%$170.00—————
7110,374$1.93$2.0731.99%$175.00—$25.90$28.5530
51,462$1.26$1.7032.43%$180.00—————

Forward $149.62. The 25-delta put carries +2.02 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

2027-01-15(113 days)ATM 31.83%±26.55skew +1.65
CallsStrikePuts
VolumeOpen intBidAskIV IVBidAskOpen intVolume
01,659$53.60$56.35—$95.00—————
07,770$49.40$51.45—$100.00—————
01,806$44.30$46.70—$105.00—————
02,032$39.40$41.95—$110.0037.32%$0.60$0.974,3100
12,591$35.05$36.65—$115.0035.78%$1.01$1.183,4300
05,597$30.35$32.40—$120.0034.10%$1.26$1.712,1990
182,935$26.30$28.05—$125.0034.32%$2.06$2.642,66910
02,646$22.10$23.95—$130.0033.70%$3.20$3.455,3502
03,743$19.05$19.95—$135.0033.18%$4.45$4.759191
202,136$15.80$16.45—$140.0032.68%$6.05$6.353,582101
2922,811$12.90$13.20—$145.0032.29%$8.00$8.355663
633,016$10.30$10.5531.93%$150.00—$10.05$11.003331
11,266$8.10$8.4031.72%$155.00—$12.85$13.6515310
0784$6.25$6.5531.43%$160.00—$16.10$16.801183
31,802$4.80$5.1031.39%$165.00—$19.65$20.75270
02,237$3.70$3.9531.53%$170.00—$23.00$24.5010
05,111$2.63$3.3031.80%$175.00—$26.50$28.751300
242,166$1.97$2.5631.96%$180.00—$30.85$33.3050
5167$1.45$1.8531.72%$185.00—————
7337$0.68$0.9631.14%$195.00—————
11164$0.54$0.7331.62%$200.00—————

Forward $149.90. The 25-delta put carries +1.65 volatility points over the 25-delta call.

How to read this

Calls on the left, puts on the right, the strike between them — the layout every chain uses. Each block is one expiration, and the heading carries its days to expiry, the at-the-money implied volatility, and the one-standard-deviation move that volatility implies over that time.

Only the 21 strikes nearest the forward are stored, which is the part of the board that carries the volume. The shaded side is in the money: below the forward for calls, above it for puts.

Implied volatility is shown on the out-of-the-money side only. An in-the-money option is nearly all intrinsic value quoted on a wide market, so a volatility solved from it would look authoritative and mean very little. The price is still shown, because the price is real; the blank is deliberate.