What the institutional money is doing on TSCO right now — dark pool, options positioning, and where the news and the money disagree. Free.
Institutional buying in the news conflicts with off-exchange positioning that favors short sales and shows distribution regime—a classic divergence between headline optimism and quiet institutional hedging.
More institutional buying headlines, but the money signals show off-exchange volume half its normal level with short-skewed positioning—institutions may be buying equity while hedging downside via options or short sales.
Routine investor-relations activity carries no directional signal; off-exchange positioning remains in distribution mode with muted volume, suggesting the market is not reacting with fresh conviction.
Positive business development news arrives while off-exchange traders are net-short and volume is half normal—institutions are not rushing to accumulate on the headline, suggesting skepticism about near-term impact or valuation.
Yet another institutional buyer, but off-exchange short positioning remains elevated and volume depressed—the money is not confirming the buying narrative with aggressive accumulation off the public book.
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).
