ProShares - Large Cap Core Plus (CSM) Probability Analysis

Probability analysis extracts the risk-neutral probability distribution implied by option prices. It shows the market-implied likelihood of the underlying reaching various price levels by expiration.

ProShares - Large Cap Core Plus (CSM) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Asset Management industry, with a market capitalization near $500.6M, listed on CBOE, carrying a beta of 1.00 to the broader market. The fund invests in financial instruments that ProShare Advisors believes, in combination, should track the performance of the index. public since 2009-07-14.

Snapshot as of May 29, 2026.

Spot Price
$87.09
ATM IV
16.6%
IV Rank
0.9%
IV Percentile
50.0%
HV 20-Day
9.6%
IV Skew 25Δ
0.013

As of May 29, 2026, ProShares - Large Cap Core Plus (CSM) at $87.09 has an ATM IV of 16.6%, implying a 30-day one-standard-deviation range of approximately ±$4.14. IV rank is 0.9% (subdued, distribution priced tighter than usual). IV percentile is 50.0%. The 25-delta skew is +0.013: roughly symmetric wings. Under lognormal assumptions roughly 68% of outcomes fall within ±1σ and 95% within ±2σ; risk-neutral probability analysis refines this by extracting the market-implied distribution directly from options prices, capturing the fat tails that real markets exhibit.

How CSM probability analysis Data Feeds Strategy Selection

Strategy selection on ProShares - Large Cap Core Plus options does not derive from any single metric in isolation. The probability analysis view above sits inside a broader read: ATM IV currently sits at 16.6% and dealer gamma exposure is positive, so dealer hedging is mechanically mean-reverting. Combine the probability analysis data here with the volatility-skew surface, dealer-gamma exposure, max-pain level, and upcoming-events calendar to build a positioning thesis. Risk-defined structures (credit spreads, debit spreads, iron condors) are usually safer than naked positions while the regime is uncertain; the data on this page anchors the inputs but does not by itself constitute a trade thesis.

How to read the CSM probability distribution

The probability cone above is the option-market-implied distribution of where ProShares - Large Cap Core Plus spot could end up at expiration. It's derived from the implied-volatility surface via a risk-neutral pricing transformation, not from historical realized returns. With ATM IV at 16.6% and spot at $87.09, the 1σ band is approximately ±5.7% over a 30-day horizon. Recent realized HV-20 of 9.6% runs 7.0 vol points below the current implied, suggesting the chain is pricing more dispersion than the underlying has been delivering.

CSM risk-neutral vs real-world probabilities

The probabilities derived from option prices reflect the market's risk-adjusted view, not the realized statistical distribution. Risk-neutral probabilities include the equity risk premium and skew preferences priced into options, so they tend to overstate tail probability and understate upside drift relative to actually-realized outcomes. For probability-of-touch calculations and assignment-risk modeling, risk-neutral is the right benchmark. For position-sizing your own conviction, blend with realized-volatility-based statistics from the HV columns.

Trading the CSM distribution

Probability-driven strategies aim to capture mispricings between the implied distribution and your own probability assessment. Premium-selling structures (credit spreads, iron condors, cash-secured puts) profit when the implied distribution overprices tail probability relative to realized; premium-buying (debit spreads, long calls/puts, long straddles) profits in the reverse. With CSM IV rank at 0.9%, the chain is pricing tighter tails than recent realized history; buyers get cheaper optionality but need a real catalyst to monetize. Always pair probability-driven strategy selection with a stop loss or wing-defined risk - the implied distribution is a snapshot, and regime shifts can invalidate it intraday.

Learn how risk-neutral density is reported and how to read the data →

Frequently asked CSM probability analysis questions

What is the CSM 30-day expected price range?
As of May 29, 2026, with CSM at $87.09 and ATM IV at 16.6%, the implied 30-day one-standard-deviation range is approximately ±$4.14, or about $82.95 to $91.23. IV rank is subdued, so the priced distribution is tighter than the 1-year typical width.
What does CSM risk-neutral density tell us?
Risk-neutral density is the probability distribution of future CSM price implied by listed option prices. Extracted via Breeden-Litzenberger (twice-differentiating the call price function with respect to strike), it represents the pricing kernel rather than the real-world probability of outcomes. Persistent skew or fat-tail features in the density reflect how the market is pricing tail risk.
How does CSM ATM IV translate to a probability range?
ATM IV is annualized; multiplying by sqrt(t/365) scales it to the chosen tenor. Under lognormal assumptions, the resulting standard deviation defines the ±1σ band that contains roughly 68% of outcomes, ±2σ for 95%. Empirical equity returns have fatter tails than log-normal, so the implied tail probabilities under-state realized tail frequency in stressed regimes.