Shares of finance companyCapital One Financial (COF) have been in a steady uptrend for the past few months. One trader sees the potential for a continued rally higher. That’s based on the June 2021 $150 calls. With 76 days left to trade, and with shares near $130, shares would need to rise another 15 percent for the option to move in-the-money. Over 4,640 contracts traded, a 39-fold rise from the prior open interest of 119. The trader paid about $2.04 for the options. Shares are already up about 160 percent in the past year. With earnings growth over the past year more than double...

Mineral ore producerRio Tinto Group (RIO) saw shares double in the past year, going from $45 to $92, before a pullback starting in February. Now, one trader sees a rebound in shares. That’s based on the January 2022 $86.57 calls. Over 13,862 of the contracts traded, a 60-fold jump in volume from the prior open interest of 230. The trade expires in 292 days. The buyer paid about $4.60 for each contract. With shares near $78, the option will move in-the-money following an 11 percent rise in shares. With so much time before expiration, that’s a reasonable bet to make. The company has...

Shares ofUnder Armour (UA) have been rallying the past few months but have stalled out in recent weeks. One trader is making a big bet on a move higher. That’s based on the April 16th $18.50 calls. The at-the-money trade has just two weeks until expiration. Yet over 35,760 contracts traded, a staggering 270-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 132 contracts. The call buyer paid about $0.70 for each contract. Shares have traded as high as $20 per share in the past year, or about $1.50 higher than the current price. Despite the recent slowdown, shares are up 140 perce...

Shares of digital payments companySquare (SQ) have been off in recent weeks, coming down from a high near $280 per share closer to $200. At least one trader sees further upside ahead. That’s based on the May $200 calls. Expiring in 50 days, and with shares around $215, the option is already nearly $15 in-the-money. Over 10,300 contracts traded, a 25-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 413. The buyer paid about $25 for the contracts, or about $10 of option premium accounting for the $15 in-the-money. Even with the recent weakness in shares, the payments company is s...

The past week has seen a large selloff in shares ofDiscovery (DISCA), as a hedge fund went through a forced liquidation. One trader sees a potential rebound in the coming months. That’s based on the May 2021 $75 calls. Expiring in 51 days, over 12,660 options traded, a 41-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 307. The buyer paid about $0.50 for the trade. With shares in the $40 range, a move to $75 requires a high double-digit move higher for the trade to move in-the-money. With a 52-week high of $78, and with shares down nearly 45 percent in the space of a week, the tr...

An outsized rally in financial stocks has helped keep the overall market from dropping too much as tech stocks have sold off. Traders still see some upside in the space. That’s based on the April 30th $42.50 calls onBank of America (BAC). With 32 days until expiration, and with shares near $39, the bet has been made that shares will keep moving at least another 3 percent higher. Nearly 4,200 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 107, for a 39-fold rise in volume. The trader paid about $0.45 to make the trade. Bank of America saw shares take a steep dive last year, and ...

Semiconductor giantMicron (MU) has been hovering near all-time highs, even with the recent volatility in tech. One trader sees the potential for a move higher. That’s based on the April $98 calls. Expiring in 18 days, the trade is a bet that shares will move over 15 percent higher from their current price in the mid-$80 range. Over 11,000 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 116, for a 95-fold rise in volume. The option buyer paid $0.60 for the trade. Micron shares have gotten into the $95 range in the past few weeks, but a move to the strike price of $98 would be a n...

Shares of crafting e-commerce platformEtsy (ETSY) have performed strongly in the past few months. With shares now down around to $200 from a recent high of $250, one trader sees a big move higher. That’s based on the May $250 calls. Expiring in 56 days, the option is a bet on a return to all-time highs in a short amount of time. 5,480 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 120, for a 46-fold rise in volume. The option buyer paid about $5.70 for the calls on average. Even with the recent pullback in shares, the company is up over 420 percent from its pandemic lows. The c...

Top performing media playViacomCBS (VIAC) saw a selloff earlier this week as the company announced it would issue more shares to raise capital. With the stock up over five-fold in the past year, some traders are betting on a further pullback. One such trade is the May $65 puts. Expiring in 57 days, over 7,300 contracts traded against an open interest of 187 contracts, for a 39-fold rise in volume. The trader paid about $1.75 for the contract on average. Shares have already fallen from a price near $105 at the peak to under $80 in just a few sessions. A move to the $65 strike price...

Credit card giantVisa (V) saw its shares sell off last week on news of a government probe. However, at least one trader is betting on a move higher. That’s based on the May $210 calls. Nearly 3,000 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 128, for a 23-fold rise in volume. The trade expires in 58 days, and trades right at-the-money given the current price near $208. The buyer of the option paid about $7.40 for the call. Visa’s status as one of the biggest players in an oligopoly makes it an attractive name. The company carries profit margins of nearly 50 percent on its tr...