Options Analytics

Expected Move

Market-implied ±1σ and ±2σ ranges for GOOGL

Expiration Date DTE Price~ Expected Move Expected Move% Upper Bound Lower Bound Implied Volatility
03/11/26 (Wed) 2 306.25 5.46 1.78% 311.71 300.79 34.84%
03/13/26 (Fri) 4 306.25 7.82 2.55% 314.07 298.43 35.53%
03/16/26 (Mon) 7 306.25 9.09 2.97% 315.35 297.15 31.31%
03/18/26 (Wed) 9 306.25 10.79 3.52% 317.05 295.45 32.78%
03/20/26 (Fri) 11 306.25 12.2 3.98% 318.45 294.05 33.66%
03/27/26 (Fri) 18 306.25 15.3 5.0% 321.55 290.95 33.01%
04/02/26 (Thu) 24 306.25 17.47 5.7% 323.72 288.78 32.63%
04/10/26 (Fri) 32 306.25 20.06 6.55% 326.31 286.19 32.45%
04/17/26 (Fri) 39 306.25 22.36 7.3% 328.61 283.89 32.79%
05/15/26 (Fri) 67 306.25 33.32 10.88% 339.57 272.93 37.42%
06/18/26 (Thu) 101 306.25 40.1 13.09% 346.35 266.15 36.73%
07/17/26 (Fri) 130 306.25 44.71 14.6% 350.96 261.54 36.08%
08/21/26 (Fri) 165 306.25 51.51 16.82% 357.76 254.74 36.88%
09/18/26 (Fri) 193 306.25 54.78 17.89% 361.03 251.47 36.34%
01/15/27 (Fri) 312 306.25 68.7 22.43% 374.95 237.55 35.92%

Understanding Expected Move

What is the Expected Move?

The expected move is the price range that options traders believe an asset will stay within by a specific expiration date. It is calculated using the prices of at-the-money options (straddles) and represents a one-standard-deviation (±1σ) probability, which is approximately 68%.

How to interpret the outputs

The chart visualizes the potential price range (the “cone”) for the asset over time, with both one-standard-deviation (±1σ) and two-standard-deviation (±2σ, ~95% probability) boundaries. The table below quantifies this, showing the expected move in both points and as a percentage for each upcoming expiration. This lets you see exactly how much volatility the market is pricing in for different time horizons.

Practical applications

  • Set realistic price targets for trades based on market-implied probabilities.
  • Determine optimal strike prices for spreads, condors, or straddles.
  • Compare your thesis with the market’s implied consensus to judge risk/reward.
  • Spot when expectations for volatility are unusually high or low versus history.