Which stick good for option today

Screening Filters

1. Price: 10–150

   • Purpose: Focus on reasonably priced underlying stocks for option trading.
   • Rationale:
     • Stocks under about $10 often have wider bid/ask spreads, lower liquidity, and more erratic moves, which can make options harder and more costly to trade.
     • Very high-priced stocks (well above $150) can have expensive options contracts (because 1 contract = 100 shares), making position sizing harder for many traders and increasing risk per trade.
     • The $10–$150 range aims at liquid, actively traded names where options premiums and spreads tend to be more manageable for most retail traders.

2. is_optionable: True

   • Purpose: Ensure the stock actually has options available.
   • Rationale: Not all stocks list options. Filtering to “optionable” guarantees every result is a valid underlying for options strategies, directly matching your goal of trading options today.

3. option_unusual_activity: True

   • Purpose: Highlight stocks with unusually high options trading volume or activity.
   • Rationale:
     • Unusual options activity often indicates heightened interest from traders and institutions, possibly ahead of catalysts (earnings, news, sector moves).
     • Higher activity typically improves liquidity—tighter bid/ask spreads and better fills—which is crucial for entering and exiting options positions efficiently.
     • For someone asking “good for options trading today,” today’s flow and activity is especially relevant; this filter zeroes in on names that are “in play” right now.

4. option_iv_rank: 30–90

   • Purpose: Target stocks with moderately to significantly elevated implied volatility (IV), but avoid extreme outliers.
   • Rationale:
     • IV rank measures how current implied volatility compares to the stock’s own past volatility (0 = very low vs history, 100 = very high vs history).
     • 30–90 IV rank suggests options are “active” enough to offer opportunities (for both premium selling and buying strategies) without only selecting extreme, potentially unstable situations (IV rank near 100).
     • This range usually provides:
       • Better premiums for sellers (credit spreads, covered calls, iron condors).
       • A reasonable expectation of movement for buyers (calls/puts, debit spreads) without overpaying for pure volatility spikes.

Why Results Match Your Question

• The optionable filter ensures every stock can be traded with options.
• The price range makes contracts more accessible and typically more liquid for retail trading.
• Unusual options activity zeroes in on names that are actively traded in the options market today, aligning with your focus on current opportunities.
• The IV rank range focuses on stocks where options are meaningfully priced and potentially attractive for various strategies, while avoiding the extremes where risk or overpricing might be excessive.

Together, these filters look for stocks that are: tradable via options, active today, liquid enough to enter and exit trades efficiently, and with volatility conditions that are typically favorable for options strategies.