Unusual Options Activity

Shares of semiconductor giant Micron Technology (MU) have been soaring higher in recent weeks. Traders expect the trend to continue. The April 2021 $77.50 call option just saw over 8,450 contracts trade, against a prior open interest of 196. That’s a 43-fold rise in volume. The trader is betting that shares will rally another $4 from their current price near $73.50 in the next 130 days. The trader paid about $6.75 for the options. Over the past few years, shares of Micron ...
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Shares of athletic apparel firm Under Armour (UAA) have been part of the market’s uptrend in the past few weeks. One trader sees shares continuing even higher. That’s based on the January 8th 2021 $17 call option. Over 14,110 contracts have traded, a 140-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 101. Expiring in just 35 days, the buyer paid $0.95 for the contracts, which will move in-the-money if shares move just 30 cents higher. Adding in what the buyer ...
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Ride sharing giant Uber (UBER) had a great month in November. Legislation in California to classify contractors as employees failed, and shares rallied. One trader sees shares moving even higher. That’s based on the December 24th $60 calls. Over 2,770 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 153, for an 18-fold rise in volume. The trader paid about $0.32 for the option, which expires in 21 days. With shares near an all-time high at $51, it will take another 17.6 percent ...
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International mining giant Vale (VALE) has fared well this year as a recovering global economy has increased demand for raw commodities. One trader sees this playing out even further. The March 2021 $18 calls just saw 17,700 contracts trade against a prior open interest of 788, for a 22-fold rise in volume. The trade, expiring in 107 days, is that shares will move nearly $3 per share higher, or about 17 percent. The trader paid $0.51. Based in Brazil, Vale is best ...
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International cement giant Cemex (CX) has seen shares rally in recent months. A return to normal economic activity bodes well for construction. One trader sees the trend continuing even higher. That’s based on the April 2021 $5.50 calls. Expiring in 136 days, the options saw over 12,950 contracts trade. That’s a staggering 105-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 105. With shares at $4.60, the stock would need to rise 19.6 percent for the option to move in-the-money. The ...
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Big data giant Palantir (PLTR), which recently went public, traded sideways for a few weeks before starting a monster move higher. At least one trader sees shares continuing to head even higher from here. That’s based on the May 2021 $40 calls. Over 12,100 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 362. That’s a 33-fold rise in volume, and it came in as shares were up double-digits for yet another day. The trader paid about $7.10 for the contracts. With shares ...
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Even energy stocks have seen some life in the past few weeks. Shares of Exxon Mobil (XOM) have rallied from $32 to $42 since the start of the month. One trader sees shares trending even higher. That’s based on the February 2021 $50 calls. Expiring in 84 days, the calls would require shares to jump another 18 percent to move in-the-money. Over 21,500 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 205 for a 105-fold rise in volume! The trader paid about ...
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At least one trader is betting that shares of pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) will rally in the coming weeks. That’s based on the surge of buying in the December 18th $41 calls. Those options just saw a 33-fold rise in volume, going from 100 open contracts to seeing over 3,250 trade. The buyer paid about $0.36, and expire in 22 days. To move in-the-money, shares would need to rally 7.3 percent from their current price near $38.20. Shares recently pulled ...
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