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Marking Historical Quarterly Option Expiration Dates on Price Charts

Article ProRealCode

Summary

This charting indicator highlights a historical series of option expiration dates by drawing vertical lines in the chart background. The listed dates cover quarterly expirations from 2004 through 2019, and the author suggests these sessions may coincide with market turning points. The example is intended for index charts such as the DAX and Dow Jones.

The document provides a date-by-date implementation rather than a rule for predicting market behavior or a tested trading strategy. It offers no statistical evidence that expiration dates reliably produce reversals, and the date list is limited to the stated historical period. Researchers using the idea would need to verify the calendar for their instrument and test any claimed price effect against suitable controls, since visual proximity to a marked session alone does not establish an expiration-related effect.

Key ideas

  • The indicator marks specified option expiration dates with vertical chart lines.
  • Its historical date list runs from 2004 through 2019.
  • The author proposes expiration sessions as possible market turning points without presenting supporting tests.
  • The example is aimed at broad equity index charts, including the DAX and Dow Jones.
  • The date series needs updating and instrument-specific verification for later or different markets.

Tags

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.