Updated October 9, 2026. A put sweep is a burst of put-option orders, often across exchanges, that prints on options-flow services. It is a description of order flow, not a strategy with a built-in edge.
Buying puts is a bet that the stock falls, or a hedge. A sweep of puts can be a directional bearish bet, a hedge of a long stock position, or a market maker laying off risk. Calling that flow “bullish” because someone might be hedging a long position is a guess. The print does not tell you which one it is.
FINRA’s intraday margin rules changed on June 4, 2026. The old pattern-day-trader flag and the $25,000 day-trade minimum for margin accounts were removed. You still need enough equity for the margin requirement of the options position, and a short option can require much more capital than the premium. Robinhood and other brokers enforce those requirements in real time.
Do not treat a sweep alert as a trade signal. If you buy a put, the most you can lose is the premium. If you sell a put, the loss can be much larger.