Options Analytics

Expected Move

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

Expiration Date DTE Price~ Expected Move Expected Move% Upper Bound Lower Bound Implied Volatility
03/11/26 (Wed) 2 645.88 12.24 1.9% 658.12 633.64 37.19%
03/13/26 (Fri) 4 645.88 17.7 2.74% 663.58 628.17 38.29%
03/16/26 (Mon) 7 645.88 20.0 3.1% 665.87 625.88 32.54%
03/18/26 (Wed) 9 645.88 23.57 3.65% 669.44 622.31 34.08%
03/20/26 (Fri) 11 645.88 26.69 4.13% 672.57 619.19 34.88%
03/27/26 (Fri) 18 645.88 33.28 5.15% 679.15 612.6 34.04%
04/02/26 (Thu) 24 645.88 37.78 5.85% 683.66 608.09 33.45%
04/10/26 (Fri) 32 645.88 43.07 6.67% 688.95 602.8 33.04%
04/17/26 (Fri) 39 645.88 47.39 7.34% 693.26 598.49 32.98%
04/24/26 (Fri) 46 645.88 51.96 8.04% 697.83 593.92 33.28%
05/15/26 (Fri) 67 645.88 71.85 11.12% 717.72 574.03 38.2%
06/18/26 (Thu) 101 645.88 84.92 13.15% 730.79 560.96 36.84%
07/17/26 (Fri) 130 645.88 94.35 14.61% 740.23 551.53 36.02%
08/21/26 (Fri) 165 645.88 111.41 17.25% 757.29 534.46 37.76%
09/18/26 (Fri) 193 645.88 119.04 18.43% 764.92 526.83 37.4%
10/16/26 (Fri) 221 645.88 126.48 19.58% 772.36 519.4 37.14%
12/18/26 (Fri) 284 645.88 145.33 22.5% 791.2 500.55 37.72%
01/15/27 (Fri) 312 645.88 151.45 23.45% 797.32 494.43 37.51%
06/17/27 (Thu) 465 645.88 186.53 28.88% 832.41 459.34 38.26%
06/16/28 (Fri) 830 645.88 248.71 38.51% 894.59 397.17 38.52%
12/15/28 (Fri) 1012 645.88 272.0 42.11% 917.88 373.88 38.4%

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.