Unusual Options Activity

At least one trader is betting that shares of alternative energy firm Bloom Energy (BE) will continue to trend higher in the next month. That’s based on the 11,805 contracts that traded on the December 18th $23 calls. That’s a 65-fold rise in volume from the prior interest of 181. With shares trading just under $22, the stock would only need to rally about 5 percent for the options to move in-the-money. The trader paid about $1.75 for the contracts, which expire ...
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At least one trader is betting on a rally in Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) around the Black Friday holiday. That’s based on the December 4th $21 call option. Expiring in 10 days, the option saw over 6,850 contracts trade against a prior open interest of 214, for a 32-fold rise in volume. The buyer of the calls paid about $0.84 per contract. With shares just over $21, this is an at-the-money trade. The buyer will make a profit as long ...
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At least one trader is betting that pharma giant Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMY) will have a big rally in the first half of 2021. That’s based on the call buying in the June 2021 $72.50 calls. The strike price of the option is about 15 percent higher than where shares currently trade at $62. Over 2,500 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 263, a nearly 10-fold rise in volume. The buyer of the contracts paid about $1.09 on average. While BMY ...
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European bank Credit Suisse (CS) has seen its shares rise over the past few months. One trader sees an even bigger move ahead. That’s based on the March 2021 $14 calls. Over 4,300 contracts traded yesterday against a prior interest of 213, for a 20-fold gain in volume. The call buyer paid about $0.30 for the calls, which would move in-the-money if shares rose about 15 percent. The $14 strike price would put shares about where they traded before the March crash ...
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Alternative energy play First Solar (FSLR) has generally been trending up, although shares recently saw a strong pullback. One trader is betting that the drop is temporary, and shares will trend higher. That’s the logic behind the surge in the December $92.50 calls. Expiring in 29 days, the calls will move in-the-money on a 14 percent rise in shares. Over 8,760 contracts traded, a 25-fold rise in volume from the prior interest near 350. The buyer of the calls paid about $1.38, ...
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Big data company Palantir (PLTR), which recently went public, has seen shares rise from an initial price near $9 to over $17 in recent sessions. At least one trader sees that uptrend continuing for some time. That’s based on the March 2021 $18 calls. These near-the-money options saw over 6,000 contracts trade hands, a 55-fold surge from the prior open interest of 109. The trader paid about $3.10 for the calls on average. With a limited history to operate on, shares don’t ...
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Media giant Viacom CBS (VIAC) saw shares drop nearly two-thirds during the pandemic. Now largely recovered, at least one trader is betting on a renewed decline. That’s based on the March 2021 $35 puts. Nearly 14,000 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 254, for a 54-fold rise in volume. The options are also about $3 in-the-money, given the current share price of $32. The option buyer paid about $5.15 per contract. Shares of the company have been trading for less ...
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Communications firm Dish Network Corporation (DISH) saw a steep decline in shares from September into early November. Now a powerful rally is underway, and one trader sees it continuing. That’s based on the March 2021 $35 call options. Expiring in 123 days, the options are a bet that shares will rally at least another 10-15 percent. Over 12,550 contracts traded against a prior open interest of just under 400, for a 32-fold rise in volume. The trader paid about $3.08 for the ...
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