All we need to do is hit QQQ 25 by Feb. 12 or 13 and it will satisfy the bare minimum for Max Pain
That would quality as slow simmer and still leave plenty of time before options expiry on 21th with real sh*t on following Monday and Tuesday. Post expiry is when the market purges the shares given to it from the uninvestors who via mutual funds liquidate their holdings in equities, call options sold not exercised, Put buyers hand in shares of stock that have declined that market makers have to dispose of quickly. During the majority of month, mutual funds borrow money from FED discount window at 1% only to settle up as unemployment, jobs balance of trade and other economic data point to double dip recession leaving them no reason to invest precious cash but only to increase cash positions as maturing J6P fearing for retirement gone awry throws in the towel.