AVWAP: The Single Most Useful Indicator for Options Traders

Anchored VWAP — volume-weighted average price anchored to a specific event — is the closest thing technical analysis has to an institutional consensus price. It tells you the average price paid by every trader since the anchor date, weighted by volume.

Why it matters more than ordinary VWAP: ordinary VWAP resets daily and is mostly useful for intraday trading. Anchored VWAP, set at a meaningful event (earnings release, IPO, all-time high, recent low), tracks where the average market participant is positioned over a relevant timeframe. Above the AVWAP, longs are profitable on average and act as supply on rallies. Below it, longs are underwater and act as demand on dips.

For options strikes: AVWAP is one of the cleanest reference levels for choosing where to sell premium. A short put just below AVWAP from the last earnings release sits below where the average post-earnings buyer is positioned — a level with mechanical buying pressure. The same logic applies in reverse for short calls above AVWAP from a recent low.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I anchor the AVWAP?

The most recent meaningful event for the stock — typically the last earnings, a major news catalyst, or a multi-month high or low.

Is AVWAP available on all charting platforms?

Most modern platforms (TradingView, ThinkOrSwim, TC2000) support anchored VWAP. Older platforms may not.

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