Unusual Options Activity

Shares of banks are stabilizing after a jump on Wednesday, but at least one trader sees a further move higher in Wells Fargo (WFC). That’s based on the February 5th $36 call option. Expiring in 28 days, the option saw over 15,700 contracts trade, a 60-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 260. The buyer paid $0.81 for the contract. Shares currently trade at $34, so the trader expects another $2 move higher in shares. Wells Fargo has been ...
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Shares of banking stocks jumped higher on Tuesday, as control of the U.S. senate looked likely to flip, indicating looser fiscal policy positions ahead. But one trader is expecting the trade to be short-lived for Deutsche Bank (DB). That’s based on the January 2023 $10 puts. With 733 days until that trade expires, over 1,420 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 122, for a 12-fold rise in volume. The trader paid $1.72 for the contract on average. Shares of Deutsche ...
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Shares of Micron (MU) have trended up ahead of the company’s earnings report on Thursday. One trader sees shares continuing to move higher after earnings. That’s based on the February 2021 $85 calls. Over 15,940 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 608, making for a 26-fold rise in volume. The bet, expiring in 45 days, would need to see shares rise 9 percent to move in-the-money. Shares of the chipmaking giant are already at an all-time high after breaking through ...
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Shares of American Airlines (AAL) have outperformed the market in recent months, even with a more recent pullback. News of a Covid vaccine could mean a quick return to air travel. But at least one trader thinks the current move is overdone, and a pullback is likely. That’s based on the August 2021 $12 puts. Expiring in 227 days, and with shares at $15, the trade would move in-the-money on a 20 percent pullback in shares. The option saw over 10,100 contracts ...
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Shares of Yandex (YNDX), an information technology and search engine company serving the Russian market, have been rallying with the overall market. At least one trader sees that uptrend continuing. That’s based on the May 2021 $75 call option. Over 2,800 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 132, for a 21-fold rise in volume. With shares at $69, it’s a bet on shares moving at least $6 higher in the next five months. The buyer paid about $4.60 for the ...
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Travel booking company Expedia (EXPE) has been trending higher in recent weeks, as signs point to more opportunities for travel in 2021. One trader sees the potential for shares to rise even further. That’s based on the March 2021 $130 calls. Over 4,300 of the contracts traded recently, a 36-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 119. The buyer paid about $12.75 for the options. With shares at $132, the options are already about $2.00 in-the-money. They should rise ...
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Social media play Snap Inc (SNAP) has seen its shares surge to new all-time highs earlier this week. So it’s no surprise that at least one trader sees the company heading higher. That’s based on the January 8th 2021 $57 call. Expiring in 8 days, the bet is that shares, trading near $52.40, will rally another 8.7 percent. Over 10,200 of the contracts traded against a prior open interest of 111, for a 92-fold rise in volume. The buyer of the option ...
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Tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) has had a solid year. One trader sees shares surging even higher. That’s based on the February 2021 $242.50 calls. With shares right around $225, that’s a bet that the stock will gain another 7.7 percent in the next seven weeks. The option saw over 6,570 contracts trade compared to a prior open interest of 100, a 66-fold surge in volume. The trader paid about $2.67 for the option. Shares of the company rose 40 percent over the ...
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