Hermēs DocumentationUOA Scanner (Unusual Options Activity)
The UOA Scanner refreshes about every 60 seconds and surfaces unusual option contracts whose volume significantly exceeds open interest, helping US equity and ETF options traders spot tickers and strikes where new money is betting first. Requires Pro.
The UOA Scanner surfaces unusual contracts whose volume significantly exceeds open interest — often the leading sign that "new money is building a concentrated position". It helps US equity and ETF options traders lock onto the tickers and strikes worth digging into first. Requires Pro, refreshing automatically about every 60 seconds.
Open it in the Options Desk via ＋ New Window → Vol & Unusual Flow → UOA Scanner.
Who it is for
US equity / ETF options-flow hunters. When you don't know which name to watch today, UOA uses "unusual volume" to focus your attention on the few contracts with money moving, then you validate with the Option Chain.
Panel walkthrough
Ticker groups & expiry
Up top, pick the ETF/index or single-name ticker group and the expiry, to narrow the scan to the category you care about.
Result table
Columns are Type, Volume, Open Interest, Description (contract detail). Filter by Vol/OI ≥ threshold and Vol ≥ minimum to keep only the truly unusual contracts.
Empty state & gating
When there's no activity, the data source is temporarily unavailable, or a higher tier is needed, the panel gives the matching prompt and upgrade path; UOA is Pro / Ultra only.
How to read it
Vol far above OI (e.g. Vol/OI ≥ 3) → same-day new positioning, not existing turnover → key signal. Same ticker, multiple strikes in the same direction → a more trustworthy directional bet. Deep OTM + short expiry + big volume → possibly an event play or speculation, discern carefully.
Versus darkpool activity
The UOA Scanner looks at anomalies of volume/OI in the options market; Darkpool looks at off-exchange dark-pool stock prints overlaid with GEX walls. They complement each other: UOA finds new options money, darkpool finds where spot block orders land.
Typical workflow
- After the open, open UOA and pick the ETF/index or single-name group.
- Set a Vol/OI threshold filter to lock onto the few strongest anomalies.
- Switch to the Option Chain to read that strike's bid-ask, IV and per-strike GEX, judging the money's intent.
- If a structural opportunity forms, take it into the Strategy Workshop.
Next steps
Frequently asked questions
What subscription does the UOA Scanner need?
The UOA Scanner is a Pro window — log in with a Pro or higher subscription; scan data for some tickers may need a higher tier.
What is UOA (unusual options activity)?
UOA means a contract's same-day volume is significantly amplified relative to its open interest, often signaling new money building a position — a leading clue to potential catalysts and directional bets.
How often does the UOA scan refresh?
Scan results refresh automatically about every 60 seconds.
Live Flow (Flow Pulse)
Live Flow is a free window that combines call/put option flow, unusual activity and a strike×expiry GEX heatmap into a one-screen sentiment pulse, helping any user quickly sense which direction and which expiry money is rushing into. Available once you log in.
Cross-asset Correlation
Cross-asset Correlation uses a Pearson correlation heatmap to measure how strongly the zero-gamma levels of indices/ETFs move together, helping macro and multi-asset traders decide whether to diversify or concentrate on one direction today. Requires Ultra.