Options trading in Ares Capital Corp. reached a total of 21,788 contracts at 2:01 p.m. New York time on Tuesday, according to exchange data compiled by Bloomberg.
Of that aggregate activity, call options made up 12,515 contracts and put options comprised 9,273 contracts. The mix of calls and puts was noted across a range of expirations and strike prices, with several series standing out for the number of contracts traded and the amount of open interest remaining.
Most active contracts and open interest
- The January 21, 2028 $15 call was the single most active contract, registering 4,997 trades and showing 78 contracts in open interest.
- The August 21, 2026 $17 call recorded 4,392 contracts traded and had zero contracts in open interest at the time reported.
- Among put options, the August 21, 2026 $18 put saw 2,218 contracts change hands and had 410 contracts in open interest.
- The January 21, 2028 $20 put accounted for 962 contracts traded and carried 420 contracts in open interest.
- The September 18, 2026 $19 call registered 950 contracts traded, with open interest standing at 4,703 contracts.
These figures present a snapshot of intraday options flow for Ares Capital. The concentration of trades in a handful of series - including long-dated contracts expiring in January 2028 and multiple contracts expiring in 2026 - is evident in the trade counts and open interest reported.
What the data shows and its limits
The exchange data identifies raw trading volume and open interest by contract but does not provide information on the underlying motives of traders, whether positions are initiated or closed, or the directional intent behind the trades. The dataset also does not include corresponding equity trade details or indications of how these option positions may be hedged.
Readers should note that the numbers above reflect a specific timestamp and set of reported contracts; changes in open interest and subsequent trading beyond the reported minute are not captured in this snapshot.
Methodology note
The totals reported are compiled from exchange-reported options transactions and open interest figures at the stated time. No additional market data or inferential analysis is included beyond the transactions and open interest values presented above.