IV PercentileIV Percentile Indicator - Brief Description
What It Does
The IV Percentile Indicator measures where current implied volatility ranks compared to the past year, showing what percentage of time volatility was lower than today's level.
How It Works
Data Collection:
Tracks implied volatility (or historical volatility as proxy) for each trading day
Stores the last 252 days (1 year) of volatility readings
Uses VIX data for SPY/SPX, historical volatility for other stocks
Calculation:
IV Percentile = (Days with IV below current level) ÷ (Total days) × 100
Example: If IV Percentile = 75%, it means current volatility is higher than 75% of the past year's readings.
Visual Output
Main Display:
Blue line showing percentile (0-100%)
Reference lines at key levels (20%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 80%)
Color-coded backgrounds for quick identification
Info table with current readings
Key Levels:
80%+ (Red): Very high IV → Sell premium
70-79% (Orange): High IV → Consider selling
30-20% (Green): Low IV → Consider buying
<20% (Bright Green): Very low IV → Buy premium
Trading Application
When IV Percentile is HIGH (70%+):
Options are expensive relative to recent history
Good time to sell premium (iron condors, credit spreads)
Expect volatility to decrease toward normal levels
When IV Percentile is LOW (30%-):
Options are cheap relative to recent history
Good time to buy premium (straddles, long options)
Expect volatility to increase from compressed levels
Core Logic
The indicator helps answer: "Is this a good time to buy or sell options based on how expensive/cheap they are compared to recent history?" It removes the guesswork from volatility timing by providing historical context for current option prices.
