Options Skew Analytics

MSFT options analytics

MSFT · Stock

Data as of 24 September 2026 (end of day)

MSFT options are pricing a 30-day at-the-money volatility of 26.7%, a move of about ±7.6% over the next month. That is higher than 34% of the 252 sessions in its trailing year.

Its 25-delta puts carry 1.18 volatility points more than the calls, around the middle of its own range for the past year.

Longer-dated options carry more: 90-day volatility is 10% above 30-day.

Its next earnings report is 2026-10-28 (estimated from its reporting cadence).

Across its last 8 reports the options market priced an average move of ±6.4% and MSFT moved 7.0% on average, staying inside the priced band 3 times out of 8.

Current readings

30-day ATM implied volatilityⓘ
26.65%

Prices a move of about ±7.6% over 30 days, or ±1.7% on a typical day.

Higher than 34% of the past year.

25-delta risk reversalⓘ
+1.18

Puts carry 1.18 volatility points more than calls the same distance from the money.

Higher than 35% of the past year.

25-delta butterflyⓘ
+0.12

The wings carry 0.12 volatility points more than at-the-money.

Term structure slopeⓘ
1.097

90-day volatility is 10% above 30-day.

Higher than 52% of the past year.

Where 30-day implied volatility sits

Against 252 prior sessions (one-year window)

26.7% — 34th percentile
18.4%47.0%
IV percentile, 1 year
34%
IV rank, 1 year
29%
IV percentile, 2 years
56%
IV rank, 2 years
32%

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
$497.93
30-day implied forward
$499.42
60-day ATM IV
30.75%
90-day ATM IV
29.23%
180-day ATM IV
30.12%
Expirations used
18
Total open interest
2,861,893
Put / call open interest
0.46

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 520 sessions

10%20%30%40%50%60%22 Aug5 Mar10 Sep19 Mar24 Sep
Show the underlying numbers (most recent 120)
Session30-day ATM IV25-delta RRTerm slopeClose
2026-09-2426.65%+1.181.097$497.93
2026-09-2325.69%+1.231.150$500.59
2026-09-2225.17%+1.461.177$498.00
2026-09-2125.35%+1.321.164$501.61
2026-09-1823.72%+1.601.208$493.78
2026-09-1723.91%+1.561.215$497.75
2026-09-1625.54%+1.901.173$490.30
2026-09-1525.48%+2.121.188$497.12
2026-09-1424.91%+1.761.197$505.41
2026-09-1123.57%+1.781.240$495.63
2026-09-1025.86%+2.261.180$492.44
2026-09-0925.38%+1.861.191$491.65
2026-09-0825.40%+1.991.193$493.95
2026-09-0424.01%+0.321.229$499.70
2026-09-0323.79%+0.451.230$510.12
2026-09-0224.55%+1.091.200$496.82
2026-09-0124.18%+1.681.212$501.02
2026-08-3124.61%+0.761.219$507.29
2026-08-2824.09%+1.041.240$513.53
2026-08-2725.06%+0.721.214$505.06
2026-08-2624.73%+1.381.213$496.37
2026-08-2525.10%+1.821.210$491.71
2026-08-2425.72%+1.351.211$487.31
2026-08-2125.53%+1.861.219$483.24
2026-08-2026.29%+1.571.189$481.15
2026-08-1925.69%+1.881.189$484.31
2026-08-1826.06%+2.001.178$481.63
2026-08-1726.39%+1.321.158$480.35
2026-08-1424.29%+1.601.215$495.40
2026-08-1325.65%+1.911.180$496.88
2026-08-1225.80%+1.111.167$492.43
2026-08-1125.87%+2.031.167$503.81
2026-08-1027.71%+1.531.131$506.06
2026-08-0727.67%+0.541.128$499.99
2026-08-0629.92%+1.621.079$499.86
2026-08-0530.06%+0.141.066$487.46
2026-08-0430.70%+1.121.060$492.81
2026-08-0330.56%+1.911.051$487.65
2026-07-3129.91%+3.011.039$464.72
2026-07-3032.68%+2.000.986$451.10
2026-07-2944.40%+1.320.855$390.54
2026-07-2844.01%+1.230.849$393.35
2026-07-2743.63%-0.680.856$389.10
2026-07-2442.78%+0.060.871$381.70
2026-07-2344.15%+0.870.871$381.58
2026-07-2245.96%-0.520.857$390.34
2026-07-2145.76%-1.230.845$397.75
2026-07-2046.19%-0.480.834$402.29
2026-07-1746.10%-1.550.846$393.82
2026-07-1646.68%-0.260.832$401.10
2026-07-1546.97%-1.700.834$395.63
2026-07-1444.98%-1.850.858$384.93
2026-07-1344.79%-1.490.857$390.99
2026-07-1043.90%-1.320.881$385.10
2026-07-0942.76%-0.730.881$384.36
2026-07-0842.94%-0.320.877$383.34
2026-07-0743.41%-0.280.872$388.84
2026-07-0643.75%-1.570.874$386.74
2026-07-0242.48%-1.920.886$390.49
2026-07-0142.17%-1.260.900$384.28
2026-06-3040.76%-0.380.934$373.02
2026-06-2942.88%-2.730.918$368.57
2026-06-2638.40%+0.230.993$372.97
2026-06-2537.60%-0.071.032$352.83
2026-06-2433.64%-0.481.095$365.46
2026-06-2331.57%-0.971.132$373.94
2026-06-2231.78%-0.751.130$367.34
2026-06-1829.69%-0.811.186$379.40
2026-06-1731.08%-0.011.143$378.91
2026-06-1629.63%-0.941.169$393.83
2026-06-1530.57%-0.591.135$399.76
2026-06-1230.73%+0.181.151$390.74
2026-06-1131.79%-0.461.138$390.34
2026-06-1031.63%+0.331.110$397.36
2026-06-0930.82%+0.931.131$403.41
2026-06-0830.22%+0.271.140$411.74
2026-06-0529.98%+0.741.125$416.67
2026-06-0428.77%-0.671.161$428.05
2026-06-0330.94%-1.601.118$427.34
2026-06-0231.37%-0.891.096$441.31
2026-06-0133.68%-2.341.039$460.52
2026-05-2929.61%-0.391.121$450.24
2026-05-2829.54%-1.071.110$426.99
2026-05-2728.32%-1.331.135$412.67
2026-05-2628.09%-0.981.139$416.03
2026-05-2226.96%-0.691.158$418.57
2026-05-2128.23%-0.821.117$419.09
2026-05-2028.94%-0.251.099$421.06
2026-05-1929.13%+0.121.085$417.42
2026-05-1830.06%-0.481.063$423.54
2026-05-1529.61%-0.111.071$421.92
2026-05-1429.15%-0.151.091$409.43
2026-05-1328.87%+0.141.080$405.21
2026-05-1227.95%+0.421.084$407.77
2026-05-1128.30%+0.471.066$412.66
2026-05-0827.30%+0.171.081$415.12
2026-05-0727.34%+0.941.062$420.77
2026-05-0626.66%+1.151.075$413.96
2026-05-0526.94%+1.501.058$411.38
2026-05-0427.66%+1.491.040$413.62
2026-05-0126.29%+0.841.090$414.44
2026-04-3027.65%+0.571.054$407.78
2026-04-2939.21%-0.590.858$424.46
2026-04-2840.38%-0.180.848$429.25
2026-04-2739.93%+0.600.848$424.82
2026-04-2438.59%+0.660.858$424.62
2026-04-2338.20%+1.170.867$415.75
2026-04-2236.90%+2.530.855$432.92
2026-04-2137.06%+2.510.855$424.16
2026-04-2036.57%+1.870.845$418.07
2026-04-1735.82%+1.630.849$422.79
2026-04-1637.72%+2.270.842$420.26
2026-04-1538.64%+1.770.830$411.22
2026-04-1438.13%+2.580.836$393.11
2026-04-1338.15%+2.110.835$384.37
2026-04-1036.86%+2.060.846$370.87
2026-04-0936.65%+2.590.843$373.07
2026-04-0835.84%+4.340.857$374.33
2026-04-0737.07%+5.260.841$372.29
2026-04-0635.71%+4.830.859$372.88

The chart covers every session in the archive, 520 in total. The table lists the most recent 120.

25-delta risk reversal

Last 520 sessions

-10.00.010.020.022 Aug5 Mar10 Sep19 Mar24 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

1d (2026-09-25) · 4d (2026-09-28) · 6d (2026-09-30)

20%22%24%26%28%30%32%2026-09-25 (1d) — 5Δ C — IV 30.26%2026-09-25 (1d) — 10Δ C — IV 28.96%2026-09-25 (1d) — 15Δ C — IV 28.39%2026-09-25 (1d) — 20Δ C — IV 28.09%2026-09-25 (1d) — 25Δ C — IV 27.91%2026-09-25 (1d) — 30Δ C — IV 27.82%2026-09-25 (1d) — 35Δ C — IV 27.77%2026-09-25 (1d) — 40Δ C — IV 27.67%2026-09-25 (1d) — 45Δ C — IV 27.47%2026-09-25 (1d) — ATM — IV 27.34%2026-09-25 (1d) — 45Δ P — IV 27.33%2026-09-25 (1d) — 40Δ P — IV 27.37%2026-09-25 (1d) — 35Δ P — IV 27.42%2026-09-25 (1d) — 30Δ P — IV 27.58%2026-09-25 (1d) — 25Δ P — IV 27.88%2026-09-25 (1d) — 20Δ P — IV 28.18%2026-09-25 (1d) — 15Δ P — IV 28.55%2026-09-25 (1d) — 10Δ P — IV 29.07%2026-09-25 (1d) — 5Δ P — IV 30.88%1d2026-09-28 (4d) — 5Δ C — IV 22.46%2026-09-28 (4d) — 10Δ C — IV 21.28%2026-09-28 (4d) — 15Δ C — IV 21.35%2026-09-28 (4d) — 20Δ C — IV 21.12%2026-09-28 (4d) — 25Δ C — IV 20.94%2026-09-28 (4d) — 30Δ C — IV 20.91%2026-09-28 (4d) — 35Δ C — IV 20.89%2026-09-28 (4d) — 40Δ C — IV 20.83%2026-09-28 (4d) — 45Δ C — IV 20.82%2026-09-28 (4d) — ATM — IV 20.81%2026-09-28 (4d) — 45Δ P — IV 20.84%2026-09-28 (4d) — 40Δ P — IV 20.90%2026-09-28 (4d) — 35Δ P — IV 20.89%2026-09-28 (4d) — 30Δ P — IV 20.89%2026-09-28 (4d) — 25Δ P — IV 21.21%2026-09-28 (4d) — 20Δ P — IV 21.45%2026-09-28 (4d) — 15Δ P — IV 21.72%2026-09-28 (4d) — 10Δ P — IV 22.32%2026-09-28 (4d) — 5Δ P — IV 24.99%4d2026-09-30 (6d) — 5Δ C — IV 25.16%2026-09-30 (6d) — 10Δ C — IV 24.16%2026-09-30 (6d) — 15Δ C — IV 23.63%2026-09-30 (6d) — 20Δ C — IV 23.67%2026-09-30 (6d) — 25Δ C — IV 23.65%2026-09-30 (6d) — 30Δ C — IV 23.63%2026-09-30 (6d) — 35Δ C — IV 23.62%2026-09-30 (6d) — 40Δ C — IV 23.56%2026-09-30 (6d) — 45Δ C — IV 23.44%2026-09-30 (6d) — ATM — IV 23.58%2026-09-30 (6d) — 45Δ P — IV 23.69%2026-09-30 (6d) — 40Δ P — IV 23.87%2026-09-30 (6d) — 35Δ P — IV 24.16%2026-09-30 (6d) — 30Δ P — IV 24.16%2026-09-30 (6d) — 25Δ P — IV 24.16%2026-09-30 (6d) — 20Δ P — IV 24.42%2026-09-30 (6d) — 15Δ P — IV 24.80%2026-09-30 (6d) — 10Δ P — IV 25.58%2026-09-30 (6d) — 5Δ P — IV 27.15%6d10Δ 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
Delta1d4d6d
5Δ call30.26%22.46%25.16%
10Δ call28.96%21.28%24.16%
15Δ call28.39%21.35%23.63%
20Δ call28.09%21.12%23.67%
25Δ call27.91%20.94%23.65%
30Δ call27.82%20.91%23.63%
35Δ call27.77%20.89%23.62%
40Δ call27.67%20.83%23.56%
45Δ call27.47%20.82%23.44%
ATM27.34%20.81%23.58%
45Δ put27.33%20.84%23.69%
40Δ put27.37%20.90%23.87%
35Δ put27.42%20.89%24.16%
30Δ put27.58%20.89%24.16%
25Δ put27.88%21.21%24.16%
20Δ put28.18%21.45%24.42%
15Δ put28.55%21.72%24.80%
10Δ put29.07%22.32%25.58%
5Δ put30.88%24.99%27.15%

Wing readings by expiration

ExpirationDaysForwardATM IV25Δ put25Δ callRRButterflyQuotes
2026-09-251$497.6827.34%27.88%27.91%-0.02+0.5627
2026-09-284$497.8020.81%21.21%20.94%+0.27+0.2634
2026-09-306$497.8823.58%24.16%23.65%+0.52+0.3339
2026-10-028$498.1524.97%25.64%24.81%+0.83+0.2644
2026-10-0511$498.1323.39%24.42%22.70%+1.72+0.1728
2026-10-0713$498.3224.48%25.80%23.46%+2.34+0.158
2026-10-0915$498.5524.79%25.38%24.10%+1.27-0.0538
2026-10-1622$498.8724.55%25.44%24.26%+1.18+0.3062
2026-10-2329$499.3525.28%25.98%24.79%+1.19+0.1133
2026-10-3036$499.8232.46%33.20%32.04%+1.16+0.1640
2026-11-0643$500.1832.30%33.57%31.57%+2.00+0.2729
2026-11-2057$500.6030.98%32.32%30.42%+1.89+0.3967
2026-12-1885$501.4929.45%30.49%29.02%+1.47+0.3175
2027-01-15113$503.3528.45%29.51%28.15%+1.36+0.3887
2027-03-19176$506.5330.10%31.23%29.98%+1.24+0.5156
2027-04-16204$508.1330.20%30.90%29.77%+1.12+0.1458
2027-06-17266$511.5730.97%31.58%30.72%+0.86+0.1885
2027-09-17358$516.8031.33%31.95%31.25%+0.71+0.2796

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

18 listed expirations produced a usable reading

15%20%25%30%35%2026-09-25 — 1 days — at-the-money IV 27.34%2026-09-28 — 4 days — at-the-money IV 20.81%2026-09-30 — 6 days — at-the-money IV 23.58%2026-10-02 — 8 days — at-the-money IV 24.97%2026-10-05 — 11 days — at-the-money IV 23.39%2026-10-07 — 13 days — at-the-money IV 24.48%2026-10-09 — 15 days — at-the-money IV 24.79%2026-10-16 — 22 days — at-the-money IV 24.55%2026-10-23 — 29 days — at-the-money IV 25.28%2026-10-30 — 36 days — at-the-money IV 32.46%2026-11-06 — 43 days — at-the-money IV 32.30%2026-11-20 — 57 days — at-the-money IV 30.98%2026-12-18 — 85 days — at-the-money IV 29.45%2027-01-15 — 113 days — at-the-money IV 28.45%2027-03-19 — 176 days — at-the-money IV 30.10%2027-04-16 — 204 days — at-the-money IV 30.20%2027-06-17 — 266 days — at-the-money IV 30.97%2027-09-17 — 358 days — at-the-money IV 31.33%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
2026-09-251 day$497.6827.34%$497.7327
2026-09-284 days$497.8020.81%$497.9234
2026-09-306 days$497.8823.58%$498.1039
2026-10-028 days$498.1524.97%$498.4944
2026-10-0511 days$498.1323.39%$498.5428
2026-10-0713 days$498.3224.48%$498.858
2026-10-0915 days$498.5524.79%$499.1838
2026-10-1622 days$498.8724.55%$499.7862
2026-10-2329 days$499.3525.28%$500.6233
2026-10-3036 days$499.8232.46%$502.4340
2026-11-0643 days$500.1832.30%$503.2629
2026-11-2057 days$500.6030.98%$504.3767
2026-12-1885 days$501.4929.45%$506.5875
2027-01-15113 days$503.3528.45%$509.7087
2027-03-19176 days$506.5330.10%$517.7156
2027-04-16204 days$508.1330.20%$521.2558
2027-06-17266 days$511.5730.97%$529.7785
2027-09-17358 days$516.8031.33%$542.2996

Constant maturities

Interpolated between the bracketing listed expirations, in total variance

30 days
26.65%
60 days
30.75%
90 days
29.23%
180 days
30.12%

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 520 sessions

0.600.801.001.201.401.6022 Aug5 Mar10 Sep19 Mar24 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

2026-10-28Time not statedEstimated from its reporting cadence

How the pricing has held up

Over the last 8 reports

Landed inside the implied band
3 of 8
38% — about 68% is what an exactly-priced event gives
Mean implied move
6.4%
Mean move that happened
7.0%
absolute

Reports

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

ReportSessionImplied ±RealisedRealised / implied
2026-07-29After the close8.5%+15.5%1.82×
2026-04-29After the close8.1%-3.9%0.49×
2026-01-28After the close6.7%-10.0%1.50×
2025-10-29After the close6.3%-2.9%0.46×
2025-07-30After the close4.5%+3.9%0.87×
2025-04-30After the close5.5%+7.6%1.39×
2025-01-29After the close5.7%-6.2%1.09×
2024-10-30After the close5.8%-6.1%1.04×
2024-07-30After the close———
2024-04-25After the close———
2024-01-30After the close———
2023-10-24After the close———

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.