Barchart's Options Screener helps you find the best equity option puts and calls using numerous custom filters.
Options information is delayed a minimum of 15 minutes, and is updated at least once every 15-minutes through-out the day.
Main features of the Screener include:
- Ability to add various filters, with hundreds of different combinations.
- Save a Screener: When you've defined filters that you want to use again, save the screener.
- Load a Saved Screener: Select a previously saved set of Screener filters to view today's results.
- View the Results using Flipcharts: Page through charts of the symbols on the results page.
- Download the Results: Download up to 1000 results to a .csv file. The Download will also pull all of the data fields present on the View you use. Barchart Premier Members may download up to 100 .csv files per day.
- Send an End-of-Day Email of a Screener's Results: Barchart Premier Members can save a screener, and opt to receive 10, 25, or 50 results via email along with an optional .csv file of the top 1000 results. Emails are sent at 4:45pm CT Monday thru Friday.
Filters
Barchart Premier subscribers can add or modify different filters on the screener to find calls on the most favorable stock options.
Reordering Filters
Once filters are added, you may drag and drop them in the SET FILTERS tab to reorder the way they appear on the RESULTS tab (when using the Filters View). Each filter you add has the "Order" icon which is used to reposition it.
So you can focus on the best options, the screener starts by removing certain puts and calls:
- Only Monthly options are shown, with Days to Expiration less than 60.
- Only stocks are screened (with the ability to add ETFs and Indices to the mix).
- The options volume must be greater than or equal to 500.
- Open interest must be greater than or equal to 100.
- Moneyness is between -25% to -5% (OTM)
Note: "Restricted options" (options quotes marked with an asterisk * after the strike price, and found on an individual symbol's options page) are automatically removed from the screener. A "restricted option" is typically created after spin-offs or mergers, and are not tradeable.
Views
The Results page contains three standard views. You may switch the view using the links at the top of the screener results table. The Main View shows the Volume and Open Interest for each option, while the Dividend & Earnings View can be used to highlight strategies with upcoming dividends and earnings. The Filter view shows you the data contained in the field(s) you've added to the screener.
Main View
- Symbol - the underlying equity. Clicking on the symbol will take you to the current quote page.
- Type - Put or Call
- Price - the delayed stock price for the underlying equity.
- Strike - the price at which the underlying security can be bought if the option is exercised.
- Exp Date - the expiration date of the option
- Bid - The highest price that a BUYER is willing to pay, or the price at which you can sell the option.
- Ask - The lowest price that a SELLER is willing to receive, or the price at which you can buy the option.
- Last Price - the price of the option.
- Volume - the total number of options traded in the current day for a contract.
- Open Interest - the total number of open option contracts in the market for a particular contract. The more popular the contract is with options traders, the greater the Open Interest. An opening transaction will increase the Open Interest, and a closing transaction will decrease it.
- Implied Volatility - the estimated volatility of the underlying stock over the period of the option.
Dividend & Earnings View
- Dividend - the dividend the equity pays on the Ex-Dividend Date. On the morning of the Dividend Ex-Date, the stock's price is lowered by the amount of the dividend that was just paid.
- Dividend Ex-Date - the first day on which the stock trades without the dividend. If you wish to receive the dividend, you must own the stock by the close of market on the day before the Dividend Ex-Date. Many times, a covered call is exercised early so the buyer can own the stock and collect the dividend. This typically happens to ITM options the day before the Dividend Ex-Date.
- Earnings Date - The date on which a company is expected to release their next earnings report. The prices are more volatile, which tends to inflate the prices of the near-the-money strikes. During a contract period when there is an earnings report due, the earnings announcement can dramatically shift the range in which the stock has been trading.
