Question 1

What is unusual options flow?

Accepted Answer

Unusual options flow refers to options trades that are significantly larger than normal for a given stock — in terms of volume, dollar value, or as a ratio of open interest. These trades often signal that informed traders (institutions, insiders, or hedge funds) are positioning for a major price move. When unusual options activity aligns with other signals like congressional trades or whale accumulation, it becomes a high-conviction indicator.

Question 2

How does StonkWhisper detect unusual options activity?

Accepted Answer

StonkWhisper scans options chains for contracts where single-trade volume significantly exceeds normal daily volume for that strike/expiry combination. We also cross-reference against congressional trades and institutional whale positions — when options flow aligns with these insider-adjacent signals, the convergence score increases, highlighting higher-probability setups.

Question 3

Is unusual options flow a reliable trading signal?

Accepted Answer

Unusual options flow is one of several signals, not a standalone buy/sell indicator. Its reliability increases when it converges with other signals: insider buying on Form 4, congressional accumulation, and dark pool volume. High-volume call sweeps before an earnings announcement or FDA decision are historically the most predictive patterns.

Question 4

What is the difference between a sweep and a block options trade?

Accepted Answer

A sweep is an aggressive options order that fills across multiple exchanges simultaneously at the ask price, indicating urgency — the buyer wants in at any cost right now. A block is a single large negotiated trade done off-exchange (often at mid-price). Sweeps are generally considered more bullish signals because they suggest the buyer needs to act before news breaks; blocks are larger but less time-sensitive.

Ticker	Price	Unusual	Notional	P/C	Avg IV	Calls	Puts	Signals
AMD	$454.62	50	$131.3M	1.09	188.5%	91.2K	99.5K	CONGRESSWHALE
AAPL	$340.08	26	$103.0M	—	146.5%	417.3K	1	CONGRESSWHALE
AMZN	$230.86	25	$47.9M	—	89.4%	168.0K	0	CONGRESSWHALE
BE	$166.84	8	$23.4M	0.72	224.3%	9.4K	6.8K	CONGRESS
BA	$221.56	16	$13.8M	0.62	77.4%	32.4K	20.1K	CONGRESS
BABA	$115.19	6	$8.5M	0.07	70.4%	30.1K	2.0K	WHALE
BTI	$62.30	2	$7.4M	0.00	53.3%	3.2K	5	CONGRESS
BAC	$62.62	2	$7.3M	—	90.5%	19.8K	0	CONGRESSWHALE
AVGO	$380.91	14	$7.1M	—	77.5%	21.5K	0	CONGRESS
BSX	$46.06	13	$3.2M	0.95	119.4%	18.6K	17.6K	CONGRESS
ANET	$169.71	4	$2.7M	—	118.8%	5.2K	0	CONGRESS
CARR	$63.16	1	$2.5M	23.57	76.7%	892	21.0K	WHALE
ACI	$11.58	2	$2.5M	—	269.8%	4.5K	0	CONGRESS
CHKP	$137.64	4	$2.2M	0.10	63.7%	5.2K	515	CONGRESS
AA	$44.36	1	$1.1M	2.00	78.1%	671	1.3K	CONGRESS
ADP	$264.17	1	$1.1M	—	75.8%	1.5K	0	CONGRESS
CCL	$28.23	1	$968K	—	155.6%	6.9K	0	CONGRESS
CMCSA	$24.19	4	$923K	0.00	150.6%	14.1K	50	CONGRESSWHALE
BCS	$26.98	1	$311K	0.21	48.8%	11.8K	2.5K	CONGRESS
BR	$158.18	1	$274K	—	52.4%	944	0	CONGRESS

Unusual Options Flow

Top Unusual Activity by Notional

Top Correlated Signals