Is LFCR options pricing rich or cheap right now?

As of Oct 14, 2026, Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (LFCR) ATM IV is 99.2% against 20-day realized volatility of 161.4%. IV rank is 29.8%. Realized volatility currently exceeds implied: an inversion of the typical equity volatility risk premium that often precedes IV expansion.

What is the LFCR 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. LFCR 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 LFCR 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. LFCR's current rank of 29.8% 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.

Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (LFCR) 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.

Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (LFCR) operates in the Healthcare sector, specifically the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry, with a market capitalization near $240.8M, listed on NASDAQ, employing roughly 382 people, carrying a beta of 0.98 to the broader market. Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. Led by Paul Josephs, public since 1996-02-15.

Snapshot as of Oct 14, 2026.

Spot Price: $6.42
ATM IV: 99.2%
HV 20-Day: 161.4%
HV 60-Day: 101.7%
IV Rank: 29.8%
IV Percentile: 77.8%

As of Oct 14, 2026, Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (LFCR) ATM implied volatility is 99.2%. 20-day realized volatility is 161.4%, producing an IV-HV spread of -62.2 vol points. Realized volatility currently exceeds implied, an inversion that can signal a pending IV expansion. IV rank is 29.8%.

How LFCR iv/hv history Data Feeds Strategy Selection

Strategy selection on Lifecore Biomedical, 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 99.2% 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 LFCR IV vs HV chart

The dual-line chart below 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 99.2%, 29.8% IV rank, against 161.4% realized over the trailing 20 trading days. Implied is currently below realized by 62.2 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.

LFCR IV/HV regimes and trade selection

LFCR sits in the bottom quartile of its 1-year IV range. Low-IV-rank regimes favor premium-buying or long-vol structures - long calls/puts, debit spreads, calendar spreads, long straddles. The risk: low rank can persist for months while theta decay eats premium-buyers alive without a vol-expansion catalyst.

Using LFCR 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. Backwardation (negative slope -0.348) indicates acute near-term event risk - near-dated tenors price disproportionate vol. Pair the rank read with the slope read with the event calendar to choose the right tenor for the structure.

LFCR 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. LFCR's current 29.8% IV rank places the ticker in the compression phase of that cycle. Compression phases are profitable for theta-harvesting structures but tend to end with abrupt vol-expansion regimes that hit short-vol books fast. The ratio of HV-20 (161.4%) to HV-60 (101.7%) 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 below 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 LFCR over the last ~31 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.

Daily values from end-of-day option_ticker_snapshots. Series sparse on illiquid tickers reflects gaps in the upstream end-of-day options data feed.

Most recent 15 trading days (descending). Older history appears in the chart above.

Date	ATM IV	HV 20d	HV 60d	IV Rank
Oct 14, 2026	99.2%	161.4%	101.7%	29.8%
Oct 13, 2026	20.2%	161.3%	101.7%	4.6%
Oct 12, 2026	20.3%	162.1%	102.4%	4.6%
Oct 9, 2026	20.3%	161.9%	102.4%	4.6%
Oct 8, 2026	20.3%	161.8%	102.7%	4.6%
Oct 7, 2026	20.3%	161.6%	102.7%	4.6%
Oct 6, 2026	56.2%	164.9%	102.7%	16.1%
Oct 5, 2026	53.5%	165.0%	102.7%	15.2%
Oct 2, 2026	59.0%	165.0%	102.8%	17.0%
Oct 1, 2026	54.9%	167.9%	105.6%	15.7%
Sep 30, 2026	52.8%	169.0%	105.5%	15.0%
Sep 29, 2026	59.0%	169.9%	105.9%	17.0%
Sep 28, 2026	31.1%	170.2%	106.0%	8.1%
Sep 25, 2026	105.6%	60.1%	53.0%	31.9%
Sep 24, 2026	133.5%	60.2%	53.6%	40.8%

Frequently asked LFCR iv/hv history questions

Is LFCR options pricing rich or cheap right now?: As of Oct 14, 2026, Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (LFCR) ATM IV is 99.2% against 20-day realized volatility of 161.4%. IV rank is 29.8%. Realized volatility currently exceeds implied: an inversion of the typical equity volatility risk premium that often precedes IV expansion.
What is the LFCR 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. LFCR 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 LFCR 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. LFCR's current rank of 29.8% 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.