What a good option pay

Screening Filters

1. Market Cap ≥ $10,000,000,000

   • Purpose: Restrict results to large‑cap companies.
   • Rationale:
     • Intel (INTC) is a large‑cap stock, so to find comparable “option plays,” you want peers with similar size and liquidity.
     • Large‑caps tend to have:
       • Deeper options markets (tighter bid–ask spreads, higher open interest).
       • More stable behavior than small, illiquid names, which makes structuring and managing option strategies more practical.
     • This filter removes tiny or speculative stocks whose options may look cheap or expensive on paper but are hard to trade efficiently.

2. Industry = Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment

   • Purpose: Focus on Intel’s own sector.
   • Rationale:
     • You asked about a good option play specifically for Intel; to understand whether an options setup is “good,” it helps to compare Intel to similar semiconductor names (similar volatility drivers: AI, PC cycles, datacenter demand, capex cycles, etc.).
     • Option pricing and volatility behavior in semiconductors differ from, say, utilities or banks.
     • By screening only semis, you see optionable stocks exposed to the same macro/sector themes as Intel, which helps determine if Intel’s option premiums, IV rank, and movement potential are attractive relative to peers.

3. is_optionable = True

   • Purpose: Ensure every stock returned actually has listed options.
   • Rationale:
     • Your question is explicitly about an option play. A stock without options is irrelevant to that goal.
     • This filter guarantees that any stock in the results can be traded using calls, puts, spreads, etc., so all candidates are directly usable for the kind of strategy you’re considering for Intel.

4. option_iv_rank ≥ 20

   • Purpose: Focus on stocks whose current implied volatility is at least moderately elevated versus their own past.
   • Rationale:
     • IV rank compares today’s implied volatility to its range over a defined look‑back period (often 1 year). A rank of 0 means “near the lowest IV of the period,” 100 means “near the highest.”
     • A minimum IV rank of 20 filters out names where options are extremely cheap relative to their own history, which often means:
       • Less premium to collect for option sellers.
       • Less compensation for taking risk via options versus just owning the stock.
     • Since you’re looking for a “good option pay,” you typically want at least some richness in the premiums (or, for buyers, you want to avoid ultra‑complacent markets that may not move enough).
     • Intel itself currently has an IV rank in the mid‑30s, so this threshold keeps it and similarly “alive” options markets in view.

Why Results Match:

• The combination of large‑cap + semiconductor sector lines up with Intel’s profile and focuses on true peers, making it easier to judge whether an Intel options setup is attractive compared with similar names.
• Requiring optionable stocks ensures everything the screener returns can actually support the kind of options strategy you’re contemplating.
• The IV rank ≥ 20 constraint aligns with your desire for a “good option pay” by emphasizing stocks (including Intel) where option premiums are not at rock‑bottom levels relative to their own history, making them more interesting for structured option plays (whether buying or selling).