What is Implied Volatility Rank (IV Rank)?
Implied Volatility Rank, commonly known as IV Rank, is a metric that measures where the current implied volatility of a stock sits relative to its 52-week high and low. The formula is straightforward: IV Rank = (Current IV - 52-Week Low IV) / (52-Week High IV - 52-Week Low IV). A result of 0% means IV is at its annual low, while 100% means it is at its annual high. Options traders use IV Rank to determine whether options premiums are relatively cheap or expensive compared to the stock's historical volatility range.
For example, if a stock's IV has ranged from 20% to 60% over the past year and the current IV is 50%, the IV Rank would be (50 - 20) / (60 - 20) = 75%. This tells you that current implied volatility is in the upper quartile of its annual range — options are relatively expensive, which may favor premium-selling strategies like iron condors, credit spreads, or covered calls.
Why Use Our IV Rank Scanner?
IV Rank & IV Percentile
Get both IV Rank and IV Percentile for each stock in your watchlist. IV Rank shows where current IV sits in the 52-week range, while IV Percentile shows how often IV was lower than today.
Multi-Ticker Scanning
Scan multiple stocks at once by entering comma-separated tickers. Quickly compare IV levels across your entire watchlist to find the best opportunities.
Real-Time IV Data
Current implied volatility is sourced from live options chain snapshots, using the at-the-money contract closest to the current stock price for the most accurate reading.
Sortable Rankings Table
Sort by IV Rank, IV Percentile, current IV, or any other column to quickly identify high-IV stocks for premium selling or low-IV stocks for buying strategies.
How to Use This IV Rank Scanner
- 1
Enter Your Watchlist
Type one or more U.S. stock or ETF ticker symbols separated by commas (e.g., AAPL, TSLA, SPY, AMZN, MSFT) into the input field.
- 2
Scan IV Rank
Click the "Scan IV Rank" button. The scanner fetches real-time options data and stock prices for each ticker, then calculates IV Rank and IV Percentile.
- 3
Analyze & Sort Results
Review the ranked table showing IV Rank, IV Percentile, current IV, 52-week high/low IV, and more. Click any column header to sort and find the best trading setups.
IV Rank vs. IV Percentile: What's the Difference?
While both metrics help assess whether implied volatility is high or low relative to history, they measure different things. IV Rank compares the current IV to the absolute high-low range over 52 weeks. A single spike in IV can skew the range and make the current IV Rank appear low even if IV is elevated most of the time.
IV Percentile, on the other hand, measures the percentage of trading days in the past year where IV was lower than today. This gives a more robust picture because it is not distorted by outlier spikes. Many professional options traders prefer IV Percentile for this reason, though using both together provides the most complete view.
Options Strategies Based on IV Rank
Understanding IV Rank can significantly improve your options trading decisions. Here are common approaches based on IV levels:
High IV Rank (>50%)
Options premiums are elevated. Consider premium-selling strategies: iron condors, credit spreads, strangles, covered calls, and cash-secured puts. These strategies benefit from IV contraction.
Low IV Rank (<50%)
Options premiums are relatively cheap. Consider buying strategies: long calls, long puts, debit spreads, and calendar spreads. These strategies benefit from IV expansion.