EAT max pain for the Oct 16, 2026 expiry is $200, from the Fri Oct 9 options chain. The last price, $193.87, is 3.1% below it. Call wall $230 · put floor $160.
What the institutional money is doing on EAT right now — dark pool, options positioning, and where the news and the money disagree. Free.
Options traders hold more call bets than put bets, a mild bullish tilt, but off-exchange trading is near its normal level, so the money signals don't clearly confirm the value story.
Options positioning leans toward calls, which fits a growth view, but the off-exchange data is ordinary and doesn't add strong support.
Calls outnumber puts, but the signal is modest and the off-exchange trading is normal, so the money doesn't strongly back or contradict the debt-safety story.
Options show more calls than puts, a slight bullish lean, while off-exchange volume is near its usual level, so the money gives no clear extra signal.
Calls lead puts modestly, which is mildly supportive, but the off-exchange data is ordinary and shows no clear conviction behind the story.
A divergence is when the news narrative and the institutional money flow point in opposite directions — a bearish headline while large call premium is bought, or heavy dark-pool selling under a bullish story. It signals the crowd and the desks may disagree.
Dark-pool volume — The share of trading executed off-exchange, at wholesalers and dark pools. About half of all US share volume prints there on an ordinary day, so the level by itself says almost nothing. What carries information is the distance from this name’s own recent norm, and whether the off-exchange size ran above its usual.
Off-exchange short share — How much of that off-exchange volume was sold short. The median across all listed names is about 49%, because wholesalers filling retail buy orders sell short and cover later. A reading near half is plumbing, not a bearish vote — compare it to the same name’s own 20-day norm.
Max pain — The price where the most options expire worthless — positioning often gravitates toward it near expiry.
Call wall / Put floor — Strikes with the heaviest call/put open interest — they often act as short-term resistance and support.
Put/Call ratio — Below ~0.7 leans bullish (more calls); above ~1 leans defensive (more puts).
