Finding the right stocks for put selling shouldn't require hours of research. A covered put scanner (or more accurately, a cash-secured put screener) automates the process by filtering thousands of options contracts to find the highest-premium opportunities.

What to Look for in a Put Scanner

Want to apply this to your own portfolio?Open OptionsPilot →

The best put-selling opportunities share these characteristics:

1. High Implied Volatility (IV Rank > 30)

Higher IV means fatter premiums. Look for stocks where current IV is elevated relative to the past year.

2. Tight Bid-Ask Spreads

Wide spreads eat into your premium. Liquid options (SPY, AAPL, MSFT, TSLA) have spreads of $0.01–$0.05. Illiquid options can have $0.50+ spreads.

3. Premium Yield > 1% per Month

Calculate: (Put Premium / Strike Price) × 100. For a 30-day expiration, yields above 1% are solid. Above 2% is excellent.

4. Probability of Profit > 70%

Selling out-of-the-money puts with delta between 0.20 and 0.35 typically gives 65–80% probability of keeping the entire premium.

5. Stocks You'd Want to Own

Since assignment means buying shares, only sell puts on companies you'd hold in your portfolio.

How OptionsPilot's Screener Works

OptionsPilot scans the options market in real time to surface the best covered call and cash-secured put opportunities:

  • Enter any stock ticker — get instant premium analysis
  • AI recommends optimal strikes — based on your risk tolerance (income-focused vs. safety-focused)
  • See annualized returns — compare different strikes and expirations
  • Probability analysis — know your odds before entering the trade
  • Free forever — no subscription, no credit card

    • Example Scan Results

    When you enter a ticker like AAPL into OptionsPilot, you'll see:

  • Current stock price and IV rank
  • Recommended put strikes for different risk levels
  • Premium in dollars and as annualized yield
  • Probability of assignment
  • Breakeven price

    • Manual Scanning Checklist

    If you prefer to find opportunities manually:

  • Screen for IV Rank > 30 using your broker's options screener
  • Filter for monthly expiration (30-45 DTE is optimal)
  • Check the put chain for strikes 5-10% below current price
  • Calculate premium yield: Premium / Strike × 100
  • Verify liquidity: Open interest > 100, bid-ask spread < $0.10
  • Check earnings dates: Avoid selling puts right before earnings unless intentional

    • Top Stocks for Put Selling (March 2026)

    Based on current IV levels and premium yields, these stocks consistently offer attractive put-selling premiums:

  • NVDA — High IV, massive liquidity, 2-3% monthly premium yields
  • TSLA — Elevated volatility creates fat premiums
  • AMD — Consistent 1.5-2% monthly put yields
  • COIN — Very high IV for aggressive premium seekers
  • PLTR — Growing liquidity with above-average premiums
  • SPY — Lower individual returns but highest liquidity and consistency

    • Getting Started

    Stop spending hours scrolling through options chains. Try OptionsPilot's free screener to instantly find the highest-premium put-selling opportunities on any stock.