Shares of exercise equipment companyPeloton Interactive (PTON) have been a top performer in the past year. At least one trader sees that trend continuing in the first half of 2021 as well. That’s based on the June $165 calls. Expiring in 157 days, over 4,880 contracts traded against an open interest of 181, a 27-fold rise in volume. The trader paid about $24.65 for the calls, which are about 5 percent out-of-the-money. Shares of the company are up nearly ten-fold from their March lows, but are slightly under highs set in late December in the $165 range. While the company is not ye...

Shares of mortgage finance companyMr. Cooper Group (COOP) have been in a steady uptrend for several months. Shares have pulled back slightly to start 2021, but one trader sees the uptrend continuing. That’s based on the April 2021 $35 calls. Over 5,500 contracts traded against an open interest of 268, for a 21-fold rise in volume. The option, expiring in 95 days, would move in-the-money if shares rise another $5, or 16 percent. The trader paid $1.30 for the options on average. Thanks to low interest rates and a wave of refinances, shares of the company have been a strong performer...

Shares of banks are stabilizing after a jump on Wednesday, but at least one trader sees a further move higher inWells 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 a laggard even among the big banks, and shares are still down 38 percent over the past year. Prior scandals are still weighing on the c...

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 forDeutsche 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 Bank hit $11.50, so shares would need to give up just over 10 percent of their current price for this option ...

Shares ofMicron (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 a large multi-year range between $40 and $60 starting as far back as 2018. So it’s possible to see shares con...

Shares ofAmerican 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 trade against a prior open interest of 395. That’s a 25-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the put options paid $1.78...

Shares ofYandex (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 calls. Shares have been somewhat rangebound since September, and a move to $75 would represent a breakthrough out of that r...

Travel booking companyExpedia (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 higher with the price of shares, less any declining time premium. Shares of the company are up about 18 p...

Social media playSnap 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 paid about $0.53 to make the trade. The social media company has been hitting its user growth numbers, which is likely why shares have ra...

Tech giantMicrosoft (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 past year, as work-from-home trends benefitted the company’s suite of services. Its latest video game console is selling well during...