ProShares - Short S&P500 (SH) 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 - Short S&P500 (SH) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Asset Management - Leveraged industry, with a market capitalization near $1.00B, listed on AMEX, carrying a beta of -0.96 to the broader market. ProShares Short S&P500 seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to the inverse (-1x) of the daily performance of the S&P 500. public since 2006-06-21.

Snapshot as of May 29, 2026.

Spot Price
$32.84
ATM IV
483.0%
IV Rank
100.0%
IV Percentile
100.0%
HV 20-Day
9.9%
IV Skew 25Δ
-0.026

As of May 29, 2026, ProShares - Short S&P500 (SH) at $32.84 has an ATM IV of 483.0%, implying a 30-day one-standard-deviation range of approximately ±$45.47. IV rank is 100.0% (elevated, distribution priced wider than typical). IV percentile is 100.0%. The 25-delta skew is -0.026: downside tail priced richer than upside, biasing probability mass below spot. 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 SH probability analysis Data Feeds Strategy Selection

Strategy selection on ProShares - Short S&P500 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 483.0% and dealer gamma exposure is negative, so dealer hedging amplifies directional moves. 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 SH probability distribution

The probability cone above is the option-market-implied distribution of where ProShares - Short S&P500 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 483.0% and spot at $32.84, the 1σ band is approximately ±166.7% over a 30-day horizon. Recent realized HV-20 of 9.9% runs 473.1 vol points below the current implied, suggesting the chain is pricing more dispersion than the underlying has been delivering.

SH 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. SH's put-skewed 25-delta surface (-0.026) means downside risk-neutral probabilities are higher than upside - the empirical bias is well-documented. 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 SH 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 SH IV rank at 100.0%, the chain is pricing fatter tails than recent realized history; sellers earn the gap on average. 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 SH probability analysis questions

What is the SH 30-day expected price range?
As of May 29, 2026, with SH at $32.84 and ATM IV at 483.0%, the implied 30-day one-standard-deviation range is approximately ±$45.47, or about $-12.63 to $78.31. IV rank is elevated, so the priced distribution is wider than the 1-year typical width.
What does SH risk-neutral density tell us?
Risk-neutral density is the probability distribution of future SH 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 SH 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.