Equity · United States · stocks · Weekly Free

Max Pain Strategy – Stock Return Predictability at Options Expiration

Academic paper

No Max Pain, No Max Gain: Stock Price Predictability at Options Expiration

AuthorsIlias Filippou; Pedro Angel Garcia-Ares; Fernando Zapatero

Institute

Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis - John M. Olin Business School
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM)
Boston University
Quest University Canada
Questrom School of Business, Boston University

Paper linkhttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4140487

Strategy in a nutshell

This strategy uses the Max Pain concept from options markets to predict short-term stock moves. Stocks are sorted by Max Pain, then longed or shorted weekly based on relative values.

Economic rationale

The Max Pain theory suggests stocks gravitate toward strike prices minimizing total option payouts. Option writers’ actions influence underlying prices, allowing traders to anticipate short-term gains and losses before expiration.

Entry & exit

Entry

On each month, compute 252-day total return on QQQ, BIL. Hold only names with positive absolute momentum, equal-weight.

Exit

Sell a name when its trailing 252-day return turns non-positive. If none remain positive, sit in cash.

Market data required

Needs at least 252 adjusted daily closes on QQQ, BIL before the first signal is ready. ETF columns print on exchange sessions only. The lab loads Yahoo Finance via backtest.data.load_daily_prices.

Symbols

QQQ, BIL

Frequency

Weekly · Daily adjusted close; signals rebalance on the month change (last available session)

History needed

≥ 252 trading days per symbol (about 12 months), plus a few extra bars so the first signal can fire.

Fields

Adjusted close (Yahoo auto_adjust)
Session date index

Credentials

None for paper and the onsite lab
Broker or exchange API keys only for live orders

APIs & providers

Quant Buffet Data API

The lab calls load_daily_prices for the ASSETS panel of adjusted closes, then caches CSV so backtests replay the same series.

Provider: backtest.data.load_daily_prices
Auth: None for paper / sandbox backtests
Endpoints: load_daily_prices(ASSETS, start="2000-01-01")

API / docs → /en/docs/data-api

Yahoo Finance via yfinance

US equities and ETFs, adjusted OHLCV, free for research (rate limits apply).

Provider: yfinance → Yahoo Finance
Auth: None for public history
Endpoints: Ticker.history / yf.download(auto_adjust=True)

API / docs → github.com/ranaroussi/yfinance

Onsite backtest IDE

Quant Buffet native backtest IDE

Edit and run Quant Buffet Python for Max Pain Strategy – Stock Return Predictability at Options Expiration in the browser. Results update live with equity, drawdown, and metrics charts. Allowed: backtest.data, backtest.engine, backtest.metrics, numpy, pandas. Define ASSETS and make_on_day(prices). Shortcut: Ctrl+Enter. API docs →

IDE · 50 lines

"""
Quant Buffet interactive lab — max-pain-strategy-stock-return-predictability-at-options-expiration
Allowed: backtest.data / backtest.engine / backtest.metrics, numpy, pandas.
Required: a module-level ASSETS list, and def make_on_day(prices) returning (on_day, ready)
"""
from __future__ import annotations

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from backtest.data import load_daily_prices
from backtest.engine import EngineConfig, PortfolioEngine
from backtest.metrics import compute_metrics

ASSETS = ['QQQ', 'BIL']
LOOKBACK = 252
CASH = 'BIL'

def make_on_day(prices: pd.DataFrame):
    cols = [c for c in ASSETS if c in prices.columns]
    if CASH not in cols and CASH in prices.columns:
        cols = cols + [CASH]
    risky = [c for c in cols if c != CASH]
    rets = prices[cols].pct_change(LOOKBACK)
    state = {"last": None}

    def on_day(engine: PortfolioEngine, dt: pd.Timestamp) -> None:
        key = (dt.year, dt.month)
        if state["last"] == key:
            return
        state["last"] = key
        scores = {
            s: float(rets.at[dt, s])
            for s in risky
            if s in rets.columns and pd.notna(rets.at[dt, s])
        }
        if not scores:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {CASH: 1.0} if CASH in cols else {})
            return
        best = max(scores, key=scores.get)
        if scores[best] > 0:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {best: 1.0})
        elif CASH in cols:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {CASH: 1.0})
        else:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {})

    ready = rets.dropna(how="all").index.min() if rets.notna().any().any() else None
    return on_day, ready

"""
Quant Buffet interactive lab — max-pain-strategy-stock-return-predictability-at-options-expiration
Allowed: backtest.data / backtest.engine / backtest.metrics, numpy, pandas.
Required: a module-level ASSETS list, and def make_on_day(prices) returning (on_day, ready)
"""
from __future__ import annotations

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from backtest.data import load_daily_prices
from backtest.engine import EngineConfig, PortfolioEngine
from backtest.metrics import compute_metrics

ASSETS = ['QQQ', 'BIL']
LOOKBACK = 252
CASH = 'BIL'

def make_on_day(prices: pd.DataFrame):
    cols = [c for c in ASSETS if c in prices.columns]
    if CASH not in cols and CASH in prices.columns:
        cols = cols + [CASH]
    risky = [c for c in cols if c != CASH]
    rets = prices[cols].pct_change(LOOKBACK)
    state = {"last": None}

def on_day(engine: PortfolioEngine, dt: pd.Timestamp) -> None:
        key = (dt.year, dt.month)
        if state["last"] == key:
            return
        state["last"] = key
        scores = {
            s: float(rets.at[dt, s])
            for s in risky
            if s in rets.columns and pd.notna(rets.at[dt, s])
        }
        if not scores:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {CASH: 1.0} if CASH in cols else {})
            return
        best = max(scores, key=scores.get)
        if scores[best] > 0:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {best: 1.0})
        elif CASH in cols:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {CASH: 1.0})
        else:
            engine.set_target_weights(dt, {})

ready = rets.dropna(how="all").index.min() if rets.notna().any().any() else None
    return on_day, ready

Quant Buffet syntax cheat sheet (copy / insert)

Paste these fragments into the editor. The sandbox rejects QuantConnect, os, and network libraries.

Required imports

Only these libraries are allowed in the sandbox.

from __future__ import annotations

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from backtest.data import load_daily_prices
from backtest.engine import EngineConfig, PortfolioEngine
from backtest.metrics import compute_metrics

ASSETS list (whitelisted ETFs)

Module-level list. Tickers must be in the Quant Buffet whitelist.

ASSETS = ["SPY", "QQQ", "TLT", "GLD", "BIL"]

make_on_day contract

Must return (on_day, ready). on_day calls engine.set_target_weights.

def make_on_day(prices: pd.DataFrame):
    cols = [c for c in ASSETS if c in prices.columns]
    sma = prices[cols].rolling(200, min_periods=200).mean()
    state = {"last": None}

    def on_day(engine: PortfolioEngine, dt: pd.Timestamp) -> None:
        if sma.loc[dt].isna().all():
            return
        key = (dt.year, dt.month)
        if state["last"] == key:
            return
        state["last"] = key
        long = [
            s for s in cols
            if pd.notna(prices.at[dt, s]) and pd.notna(sma.at[dt, s])
            and prices.at[dt, s] > sma.at[dt, s]
        ]
        weights = {} if not long else {s: 1.0 / len(long) for s in long}
        engine.set_target_weights(dt, weights)

    ready = sma.dropna(how="all").index.min() if sma.notna().any().any() else None
    return on_day, ready

Set target weights

Weights should sum to about 1.0. Empty dict = 100% cash.

engine.set_target_weights(dt, {"SPY": 0.60, "BIL": 0.40})

Live backtest performance

CAGR

11.49%

Sharpe

0.73

Max DD

-28.64%

Vol

16.74%

Sortino

1.11

Beta

0.57

Run the backtest to populate charts.

Order records

Run the backtest to load every order fill alongside performance.

Export to your platform

Transform Quant Buffet lab code (ASSETS + make_on_day / PortfolioEngine) into native classes for a third-party IDE — then copy and paste.

Target platform

Run in: QuantConnect Cloud or LEAN CLI · QCAlgorithm with Equity securities and monthly rebalance.

Detected pattern: Absolute momentumAssets: QQQ, BIL

# Generated from Quant Buffet → QuantConnect LEAN
# Strategy: Max Pain Strategy – Stock Return Predictability at Options Expiration
# Detected pattern: Absolute momentum
# Source uses Quant Buffet lab APIs (ASSETS + make_on_day / PortfolioEngine).
# Review fees, data, and risk before live trading — educational export only.

from AlgorithmImports import *


class QuantBuffetExport(QCAlgorithm):
    def Initialize(self):
        self.SetStartDate(2010, 1, 1)
        self.SetCash(100000)
        tickers = ["QQQ", "BIL"]
        self.symbols = []
        for t in tickers:
            if "-" in t:  # crypto proxy e.g. BTC-USD
                self.symbols.append(self.AddCrypto(t.replace("-USD", ""), Resolution.Daily).Symbol)
            else:
                self.symbols.append(self.AddEquity(t, Resolution.Daily).Symbol)
        self.Schedule.On(
            self.DateRules.MonthStart(self.symbols[0]),
            self.TimeRules.AfterMarketOpen(self.symbols[0], 30),
            self.Rebalance,
        )
        # Logic: Long assets with positive 252-day return; equal-weight; monthly.

    def Rebalance(self):
        # Pattern: abs_momentum — Long assets with positive 252-day return; equal-weight; monthly.
        # Default: equal-weight. Port your make_on_day weights here via SetHoldings.
        w = 1.0 / len(self.symbols) if self.symbols else 0.0
        for symbol in self.symbols:
            self.SetHoldings(symbol, w)

Exported code uses the platform’s native classes and libraries. Install dependencies in your third-party IDE, then run. Validate before live trading.