NVDA’s Sep-26-25 182.5 Call Dominates Options Activity with 75,996 Contracts—What Does 14.6% IV Drop Reveal?

Massive Call Volume Despite Sharp Implied Volatility Drop

At 11:00 AM, NVIDIA (NVDA) was trading at $179.83, down 2.06% for the session, but all eyes were on the Sep-26-25 182.5 call option. This single contract saw an extraordinary 75,996 contracts traded, representing 9.3% of all NVDA options volume—far outpacing typical midday flows. Strikingly, this burst in activity arrived alongside a notable 14.6% drop in implied volatility (IV) from the previous session, bucking the usual correlation between surging call activity and higher volatility premiums.

Order Flow Suggests Aggressive Selling as Pros Dominate

Breaking down the day’s order flow tells a nuanced story. Of all Sep-26-25 182.5 call contracts traded so far, a substantial 75.2% were sold while just 24.8% were bought. Furthermore, professional and institutional traders accounted for 54% of the flow, with retail investors comprising the other 46%. Such a high percentage of sells at lower prices (with the VWAP down at $1.83 versus the previous close of $3.98) strongly suggests traders—particularly institutions—are offloading risk or betting against a near-term rally despite bullish headlines about NVDA’s landmark partnership with OpenAI.

Strategic Partnership News: Major Catalyst Meets Market Skepticism

NVDA’s heavy options activity is arriving in the shadow of a headline-grabbing announcement: OpenAI and NVIDIA are joining forces to deploy 10 gigawatts of AI infrastructure, supported by up to $100 billion in staged investments by NVIDIA. While the long-term AI growth story is compelling, today’s flow reveals more cautious (or contrarian) sentiment, possibly in response to near-term overvaluation or profit-taking after previous optimism. The sheer scale of contracts traded points to active repositioning—rather than pure speculative betting—by both pros and retail traders.

Implied Volatility at Lows Signals Cheaper Options—But Also Diminished Short-Term Fear

Another telling feature: implied volatility for this call sank from a previous close of 35.6 down to just 30.2 by midday—a dramatic 14.6% collapse. Today’s option price action, with trade prices dropping from an opening $2.98 down to $1.56, echoes that shift. With IV hovering at the session’s lower bound, the cost of calls has fallen markedly even as heavy trading continues. The drop in IV signals the market is discounting a lower probability of big price swings in the near future—even with multi-billion dollar news in play.

Key Takeaway: Institutions Reduce Risk as Cheaper Calls Lure New Bets

So what does this outsized call activity—set against collapsing volatility—mean for traders? Today’s flow and price action signal that large traders are taking chips off the table or rotating exposure after major news, even as lower call prices could entice new bulls expecting volatility to rebound. Historically, similar patterns have sometimes set the stage for future upside, especially if volatility re-prices on renewed momentum. But with professional sellers in control and risk premiums compressed, caution may be warranted until open interest updates clarify how many of these contracts represent true new bets rather than closing positions.

For investors tracking NVDA, today’s dynamic call market is a microcosm of broader themes: optimism about long-term AI tailwinds but short-term skepticism in a crowded, event-driven trade. Watch tomorrow’s open interest update for a more complete read on whether new speculative money is piling in, or if the pros are continuing to de-risk ahead of the next leg in NVIDIA’s growth story.

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Originally Posted on September 23, 2025 – NVDA’s Sep-26-25 182.5 Call Dominates Options Activity with 75,996 Contracts—What Does 14.6% IV Drop Reveal?