The author observes that r/stocks is overwhelmingly bearish ("100,000% certain we were going down") even as the market approaches all-time highs. The author claims this bearish sentiment is a contrarian indicator, and by taking the opposite position (buying calls), they achieved 1400% returns in a short period. Inverse the sub's bearish consensus by taking a long position in the broad market. Contrarian indicators are not foolproof and can fail during sustained trends or fundamental shifts. The author's sample size is tiny (4 weeks) and may be survivorship bias. Using short-dated options is extremely high-risk.
SPY
HIGH
Apr 14, 22:01
Key Points
['Inverse r/stocks sentiment', 'Contrarian market indicator', 'Buy calls on broad market', 'Sentiment extreme as signal']
April 14, 2026 at 22:01