Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) IV/HV History
Comparing implied volatility to historical (realized) volatility reveals whether options are priced rich or cheap relative to actual price movement. Persistent gaps can signal trading opportunities.
Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) operates in the Communication Services sector, specifically the Internet Content & Information industry, with a market capitalization near $4.80T, listed on NASDAQ, employing roughly 185,719 people, carrying a beta of 1.27 to the broader market. Alphabet Inc. Led by Sundar Pichai, public since 2004-08-19.
Snapshot as of May 18, 2026.
- Spot Price
- $397.77
- ATM IV
- 32.6%
- HV 20-Day
- 38.0%
- HV 60-Day
- 33.6%
- IV Rank
- 38.0%
- IV Percentile
- 56.0%
As of May 18, 2026, Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) ATM implied volatility is 32.6%. 20-day realized volatility is 38.0%, producing an IV-HV spread of -5.3 vol points. Realized volatility currently exceeds implied, an inversion that can signal a pending IV expansion. IV rank is 38.0%.
How GOOGL iv/hv history Data Feeds Strategy Selection
Strategy selection on Alphabet Inc. options does not derive from any single metric in isolation. The iv/hv history view above sits inside a broader read: ATM IV currently sits at 32.6% and dealer gamma exposure is positive, so dealer hedging is mechanically mean-reverting. Combine the iv/hv history 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 GOOGL IV vs HV chart
The dual-line chart above tracks ATM implied volatility (forward-looking, what the chain is pricing) against 20-day realized historical volatility (backward-looking, what actually happened). ATM IV currently prints at 32.6%, 38.0% IV rank, against 38.0% realized over the trailing 20 trading days. Implied is currently below realized by 5.3 vol points, an inverted regime where premium buyers are underpaying for the move - rare and often a setup for IV expansion. Persistent IV-above-HV is the variance-risk-premium-positive state typical of equity markets; persistent IV-below-HV is rare and usually marks underpriced vol that often expands.
GOOGL IV/HV regimes and trade selection
GOOGL IV rank at 38.0% sits mid-range - no structural edge from rank alone. Strategy choice should follow event calendar and the dealer-positioning read.
Using GOOGL vol history alongside the term structure
The IV/HV gap on this page captures the level of premium; the term-structure slope on the volatility page captures its shape across expirations. Term structure is roughly flat at -0.007, no strong near vs far premium being priced. Pair the rank read with the slope read with the event calendar to choose the right tenor for the structure.
GOOGL IV/HV signal in volatility-cycle context
Equity-vol cycles tend to compress and expand on multi-month timeframes: a typical sequence runs low-IV-rank consolidation (months of flat tape, decaying premium) into a vol-expansion catalyst (earnings miss, macro shock, regime change) into elevated-IV-rank stress (premiums fat, dispersion high) back to mean-reverting compression. GOOGL's 38.0% IV rank places the ticker in the mid-range of its 1-year window - no strong cycle-position signal. The ratio of HV-20 (38.0%) to HV-60 (33.6%) gives a second cycle indicator: when 20-day exceeds 60-day, recent realization is running hotter than the trailing-quarter average - typically a sign that recent days have already started expanding vol regardless of where IV rank prints. Use the time series above to spot inflection points: meaningful IV/HV gap closures and openings tend to precede regime shifts by a few sessions.
Learn how implied vs realized volatility is reported and how to read the data →
Daily ATM implied volatility and 20-day realized (historical) volatility for GOOGL over the last ~33 trading days. The IV-HV gap measures the variance risk premium - when IV trades persistently above realized HV, premium-sellers earn the spread; when IV dips below HV, vol is structurally underpriced.
Most recent 15 trading days (descending). Older history appears in the chart above.
| Date | ATM IV | HV 20d | HV 60d | IV Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | 32.6% | 38.0% | 33.6% | 38.0% |
| May 15, 2026 | 32.1% | 38.7% | 34.4% | 35.1% |
| May 14, 2026 | 32.4% | 38.4% | 34.3% | 36.7% |
| May 13, 2026 | 33.1% | 38.2% | 34.2% | 40.4% |
| May 12, 2026 | 31.5% | 36.5% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| May 11, 2026 | 31.4% | 37.4% | 33.7% | 31.5% |
| May 8, 2026 | 30.6% | 34.7% | 33.1% | 27.4% |
| May 7, 2026 | 31.1% | 35.2% | 33.7% | 30.1% |
| May 6, 2026 | 30.9% | 35.1% | 33.9% | 28.8% |
| May 5, 2026 | 30.7% | 36.7% | 33.7% | 27.5% |
| May 4, 2026 | 29.3% | 36.7% | 34.0% | 20.5% |
| May 1, 2026 | 29.7% | 36.0% | 34.0% | 22.3% |
| Apr 30, 2026 | 30.6% | 36.8% | 34.3% | 27.4% |
| Apr 29, 2026 | 36.3% | 26.3% | 29.5% | 57.2% |
| Apr 28, 2026 | 36.0% | 29.7% | 29.7% | 55.7% |
GOOGL highest implied-volatility contracts
| Type | Strike | Expiration | Volume | OI | IV | Bid | Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALL | $402.50 | May 29, 2026 | 2.0K | 111 | 34.6% | $7.45 | $7.90 |
| CALL | $450.00 | Aug 21, 2026 | 381 | 40.3K | 36.5% | $12.75 | $13.25 |
| CALL | $410.00 | Jul 17, 2026 | 673 | 23.2K | 32.4% | $16.20 | $16.95 |
| CALL | $410.00 | May 22, 2026 | 16.4K | 7.7K | 45.5% | $3.05 | $3.15 |
| CALL | $410.00 | May 22, 2026 | 16.4K | 7.7K | 45.5% | $3.05 | $3.15 |
| CALL | $400.00 | Jun 18, 2026 | 3.2K | 12.5K | 32.6% | $14.50 | $14.85 |
| CALL | $402.50 | May 22, 2026 | 1.1K | 6.3K | 44.3% | $5.35 | $5.50 |
| PUT | $390.00 | May 20, 2026 | 2.7K | 254 | 49.4% | $2.54 | $2.83 |
Top 8 contracts from the institutional-grade nightly options scan; ranked by iv within the broader S&P 500/400/600 + ETF universe.
Frequently asked GOOGL iv/hv history questions
- Is GOOGL options pricing rich or cheap right now?
- As of May 18, 2026, Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) ATM IV is 32.6% against 20-day realized volatility of 38.0%. IV rank is 38.0%. Realized volatility currently exceeds implied: an inversion of the typical equity volatility risk premium that often precedes IV expansion.
- What is the GOOGL variance risk premium?
- The variance risk premium is the persistent gap between implied and subsequently realized volatility. In equity markets it averages positive because option sellers demand compensation for bearing variance shocks. GOOGL is currently pricing inverted to the historical pattern, which is one input to whether short-vol or long-vol structures carry their typical edge.
- What does GOOGL IV rank mean for strategy selection?
- IV rank normalizes the current ATM IV to its 1-year range: 0% is the low, 100% is the high. GOOGL's current rank of 38.0% signals where current pricing sits in its own 1-year history. High-rank regimes typically favor premium-selling structures (credit spreads, condors, covered calls); low-rank regimes typically favor premium-buying or long-volatility structures.