Bet on shares rallying through January. The January 17th, 2020 $45 call options onVicor Corporation (VICR) saw over 1,100 contracts trade hands against a prior open interest of just over 100, for a 10-fold rise in volume. In order for the option to move in-the-money in the next 44 days before expiration, shares of the company will need to rally about $4 per share from their current price near $41, about a 10 percent increase. Vicor, a manufacturer of modular power systems, has lagged the overall market in the past year,  as have many companies in the industrial space, but also trades at ...

Bet on shares moving 20 percent higher by late January.The January 17th 2020 $280 call options onAmgen (AMGN) saw a 21-fold increase in volume with over 3,100 contracts trading hands. Shares of the company would need to rally about 19 percent from their current price near $234 for this out-of-the-money call to expire with any value. The option buyer paid around $0.10, or just $10 per contract, so it’s a cheap bet on shares moving higher in the next few weeks. Even if shares don’t hit the $280 strike price, a sharp rally could lead to a quick double or triple from current prices. The d...

Call buying indicates further rally this month.With 18 days until expiration, the December 20th $36 call options onPeloton Interactive (PTON) saw a 20-fold rise in volume, from 127 open contracts to over 2,600. As shares surged last week to $35, the option is merely $1 out-of-the-money, and a further rally could move it in-the-money. However, at a price over $2.15 per option, the option buyer needs to see shares rise to over $38 to make money at expiration. Peloton, a maker of interactive fitness products that include high-tech features such as touchscreens and live screens of classes...

Bet on rally through December.Call options expiring on December 20th with a $21 strike price oniQIYI (IQ) saw a 73-fold rise in volume, going from 115 open contracts to nearly 8,500 contracts trading hands. With the trade expiring in 21 days, and as shares of IQ trader just under $20, it’s a bet that shares will rally about 6 percent in the next few weeks. Given that shares have traded as high as $29 in the last year, a move higher is likely. Shares of the Chinese online entertainment company have slid 3 percent in the past year, but shares are off their 52-week lows and are starting ...

Call buying suggests big surge ahead.The January 2020 $19 call options onThe Mosaic Company (MOS) saw a 43-fold rise in  volume in trading, with over 11,600 contracts trading hands against a prior open interest of 269. With 51 days to go, and with shares trading just below $19, the option trades almost at-the-money, and could move higher penny-for-penny if shares do as well. With the trade at $0.93, the shares will need to rise close to $20 for a profit by expiration. Shares of the potash producer have slid from a 52-week high of $37 to the low $17 range, and have started to tick high...

Long-term bet on further drop in shares.The January 2021 $4 put options onBanco Santander (SAN) saw over 1,000 contracts trade, a nine-fold increase on the prior number of open contracts on the option. The put is about $0.03 in-the-money, as shares trade just south of the strike price of $4. The put seller is betting that shares will decline in the next 416 days before expiration, and shares will need to drop to at least $3.40 to provide a profit after the $0.60 purchase price. Shares of the bank have fallen 17 percent in the past year, so the put sale is a bet on the trend continuing...

Put buying suggests slight drop ahead.The April 2020 $115 put options onProcter & Gamble (PG) saw a nine-fold surge in trading volume, from 174 contracts to over 1,500. Shares of the consumer goods company would need to fall by about $5 for this option to move in-the-money in just under six months. This kind of bet is a sign of hedging activity, given the small size of the potential pullback, and the timeframe on the options. The consumer goods giant has had a fantastic twelve months, logging a 31 percent surge that has beaten the S&P 500’s 18 percent return in the same time. ...

Bet on further move higher after Disney+ launch. The September 18th, 2020 $180 call options onThe Walt Disney Company (DIS), saw over 2,100 contracts trade, a 12-fold surge in volume. Given the current share price of $147, the option will close in-the-money if shares rally over 22 percent in the next 10 months. Shares of Disney have already jumped this week as the company announced that its streaming service, Disney+, was so popular that it already has 10 million subscribers. The media giant is having a great year, having dominated the box office so far thanks to strong showings from ...

1 2These fast-growing companies could shake off the low-growth fears in tech and head higher.All sectors of the market go in and out of favor. For the past few years, however, the usually high-flying technology names have stalled. That’s likely due to fears of a slowing economy and the trade war issue that seems to be holding things back. While that’s given value investments some time to shine, nothing lasts forever, and a number of fast-growing tech companies could beat the slow tech trend and head higher to close out the year. We’ve identified two companies that should continue to ral...

Call buyer bullish into 2022. The January 21st, 2022 $57.50 call options onIntel (INTC), saw over 1,400 contracts trade, a nine-fold surge in volume from the prior open interest. Although the option has 799 days until expiration, the chipmaker’s shares are right at the $57.50 price, which means this option should move dollar-for-dollar higher with shares in the next 26 months, less any decline in time premium. At a price of around $9.20 per contract, the trade allows the call buyer to benefit from a rally in 100 shares while paying less than 20 percent of the price compared to ownersh...