Should I sell covered calls before earnings?

It depends on your risk tolerance. IV is highest pre-earnings, generating maximum premium. But earnings can cause large gaps that exceed the premium collected. Conservative traders avoid earnings windows; aggressive traders target them for elevated yield.

What is IV crush and how does it affect covered calls?

IV crush is the rapid drop in implied volatility after an earnings announcement. If you sold a covered call pre-earnings, IV crush works in your favor — the option loses value quickly, allowing you to close the position at a profit even if the stock moved.

What delta for pre-earnings covered calls?

Delta 0.15–0.25 is recommended — deeper OTM than normal to buffer against the larger post-earnings moves. The elevated IV means even these far OTM strikes generate meaningful premium.

What is the maximum days to earnings shown here?

This scanner shows candidates with earnings 1–14 days away. For a longer window, see our /earnings/ section which covers the next 30+ days.

Which stocks have the highest IV before earnings?

Today's scanner found 0 candidates. High-IV tech names like NVDA, AMD, and TSLA consistently show the largest pre-earnings IV spikes. See /earnings/this-week for the full earnings calendar with IV data.

⚡ IV Elevated — Earnings Window

Covered Calls Before Earnings — May 2026

Earnings within 14 days · IV elevated pre-announcement · Updated every 30 min

Quick Answer: No pre-earnings candidates found today. Scanner updates every 30 minutes during market hours.

Candidates today

Avg ann. return

—

Earnings window

≤ 14 days

Updates

Every 30 min

Pre-Earnings Covered Call Scanner

No pre-earnings candidates found in the next 14 days. Check the earnings hub for upcoming announcements.

Understanding Pre-Earnings Covered Calls

Earnings announcements are the single biggest driver of implied volatility spikes in individual stocks. In the 7–14 days before a company reports, IV typically expands 20–60% above its normal level — and that expansion translates directly into higher covered call premiums. A stock that normally generates 2% monthly can generate 4–6% in the two weeks before earnings. The strategy is to capture that elevated premium before the announcement, with the understanding that the underlying can gap significantly post-release. Key disciplines: keep delta low (0.15–0.25), size positions conservatively, and always know the exact earnings date before entering.

Earnings This Week High IV Rank Delta 20 Screener IV Crush Explained

Covered Calls Before Earnings — May 2026

Pre-Earnings Covered Call Scanner

Understanding Pre-Earnings Covered Calls

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