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Before the print · Salesforce

CRM Stock Before Earnings: ±8.8% Priced, IV Ramps +90% Into the Print

What happens to CRM stock before earnings? Two things are measurable: options currently price a ±8.8% move for the Aug 26, 2026 report (after market close) against a 10-year average move of about ±7.5%; at-the-money implied volatility climbed +90% over the final five sessions before the print on average across Salesforce's last 7 reports (it rose into 7 of the 7), with the last day alone averaging +20%. That ramp is what an IV-rush trade tries to capture — and it collapses the moment the numbers are out (IV crush), which is why buying calls or puts the night before is usually a bet against the odds unless the move beats what was priced.

EarningsWatcher Research · Updated August 18, 2026 · Educational information, not investment advice
Options price
±8.8%
for Aug 26, 2026 · after market close
Avg move (10Y)
±7.5%
peak earnings-day move
Typical IV ramp
+90%
-5d → last close, avg of 7 reports
Last-day ramp
+20%
final session alone, average

CRM live implied move & 10Y history → · CRM stock after earnings → · Who is on the IV Rush Radar this week → · How the IV rush trade works →

How CRM's implied volatility ramps into the print

The IV Rush Radar records at-the-money IV twice a day for the last five sessions before every Salesforce report. Its most recent release (May 27, 2026) looked like this — IV at each 4pm close, versus the -5d morning reading of 79%:

SessionATM IVvs -5d open
-5d 4pm77%-2%
-4d 4pm78%-1%
-3d 4pm78%-1%
-2d 4pm114%+46%
-1d 4pm144%+83%

Across all 7 tracked reports the five-session ramp averaged +90% and the last day alone +20%.

ReportIV at -5dIV at last closeRamp
May 27, 202679%144%+83%
Feb 25, 2026▮▮%▮▮▮%+▮▮%
Sep 3, 2025▮▮%▮▮▮%+▮▮%
May 28, 2025▮▮%▮▮▮%+▮▮%
The other 6 Salesforce reports, side by side — and the live curve for the next one — are in the IV Rush Radar. This is the tool members use to trade the ramp before the crush: the historical median IV path for CRM drawn against today's real-time IV, three snapshot signals (is IV rising now, is the projected straddle gain worth it, does CRM usually rise on the last day), a projected straddle price into the close, and the platform's daily P1/P2/P3 rush picks. Ideal setups light all three signals green — and the radar tells you when to be out (always before the last close). See member plans →

Why "just buy calls before earnings" usually loses even when you're right

Everything the market expects is already in the premium: implied volatility peaks at the last close before the report and collapses the moment the numbers are out. A call bought the night before needs the stock to move more than the implied move in the right direction just to break even — a smaller-than-priced move loses money on both calls and puts. Our IV crush guide walks through the mechanics; the expected-move calculator turns a straddle price into the break-even you'd need.

Buying the CRM straddle at the last close and holding through: 4 of 15 paid

The backtester replays a long ATM straddle entered at the last close before each of Salesforce's last 15 reports and marked at the reaction-day close — real contract prices, not theory. Long vol won 4 of 15; short vol is the mirror image.

ReportStraddle at entryAt reaction closeLong-vol P&L
May 27, 2026$15.65$4.07-74%
Feb 25, 2026$13.93$5.76-59%
Dec 3, 2025$▮▮.▮▮$▮▮.▮▮▮▮%
Sep 3, 2025$▮▮.▮▮$▮▮.▮▮▮▮%
May 28, 2025$▮▮.▮▮$▮▮.▮▮▮▮%
Every one of the 15 instances — entry, open, midday and close prices for straddles, strangles, iron butterflies and condors — is in the Backtester, and the Simulator gives the likelihood of success and risk/reward for the exact position you'd put on for the next report. See member plans →
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Frequently asked questions

Should I buy CRM before earnings?

That is a decision only you can make, and this page does not give advice. What the data says: options price a move of ±8.8% for the Aug 26, 2026 report, so a long call or put needs Salesforce to move more than that in the right direction to profit after IV crush. Implied volatility has climbed +90% on average over the final five sessions, which is why some traders trade the ramp itself and exit before the print.

Does CRM implied volatility go up before earnings?

Usually. Across Salesforce's last 7 reports at-the-money IV rose into the print 7 times, averaging +90% from five sessions out to the last close, with the last day alone averaging +20%. Into its May 27, 2026 report IV went from 79% to 144%.

When does CRM IV peak before earnings?

At the last close before the report — the final session before the print carries the biggest step for most names, which is why an IV-rush trade is exited before that close and never held through the announcement.

What is CRM's implied move for the next earnings?

Options currently price about ±8.8% for Aug 26, 2026 (after market close); the 10-year average move is about ±7.5%.

See CRM's live IV curve before the next report

IV Rush Radar with real-time vs typical IV and the three snapshot signals, the backtester's real per-quarter prices, DriftLab for the days after, and a simulator to rehearse the position first.

See member plans →