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
04/24/26 (Fri) 1 659.15 8.48 1.29% 667.63 650.67 1.0%
04/27/26 (Mon) 4 659.15 12.98 1.97% 672.13 646.17 27.39%
05/01/26 (Fri) 8 659.15 42.07 6.38% 701.23 617.07 63.4%
05/04/26 (Mon) 11 659.15 43.99 6.67% 703.14 615.16 56.59%
05/06/26 (Wed) 13 659.15 45.75 6.94% 704.9 613.4 54.15%
05/08/26 (Fri) 15 659.15 47.0 7.13% 706.15 612.14 51.59%
05/15/26 (Fri) 22 659.15 51.59 7.83% 710.75 607.55 46.59%
05/22/26 (Fri) 29 659.15 55.21 8.38% 714.36 603.94 43.6%
05/29/26 (Fri) 36 659.15 58.57 8.88% 717.72 600.58 41.64%
06/18/26 (Thu) 56 659.15 68.25 10.36% 727.4 590.89 38.95%
07/17/26 (Fri) 85 659.15 79.94 12.13% 739.09 579.21 37.14%
08/21/26 (Fri) 120 659.15 99.98 15.17% 759.13 559.17 39.06%
09/18/26 (Fri) 148 659.15 109.01 16.54% 768.16 550.14 38.32%
10/16/26 (Fri) 176 659.15 117.94 17.89% 777.09 541.21 38.08%
12/18/26 (Fri) 239 659.15 139.02 21.09% 798.17 520.13 38.61%
01/15/27 (Fri) 267 659.15 145.86 22.13% 805.01 513.29 38.31%
06/17/27 (Thu) 420 659.15 184.36 27.97% 843.51 474.78 38.86%
12/15/28 (Fri) 967 659.15 280.99 42.63% 940.14 378.16 39.88%

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.