What the institutional money is doing on ICHR right now — dark pool, options positioning, and where the news and the money disagree. Free.
Options traders are not betting on further downside (call-heavy positioning, low squeeze pressure at 25), yet today's volume flow tilts defensive (put-heavy daily flow), suggesting uncertainty rather than conviction in either direction.
Standing option positions remain call-heavy (0.37 put-to-call), but today's flow reversed to put-heavy (0.97 volume ratio), indicating fresh hedging or profit-taking rather than new bullish conviction despite the positive operational story.
Off-exchange volume is running 14% below normal (0.86 ratio), with short-selling slightly lighter than the stock's own average, suggesting institutional buyers are not aggressively accumulating on the quiet—the asymmetric setup is narrative, not yet backed by stealth positioning.
Call-heavy standing positions (0.37 put-to-call) align with bullish sentiment, but today's volume flow is put-heavy (0.97), and off-exchange activity is subdued (0.86 ratio), indicating the upgrade has not yet triggered institutional accumulation.
Off-exchange volume remains below normal (0.86 ratio) and short-selling is lighter than average, consistent with a small or recent position that has not yet moved the needle on institutional flow.
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).
