Is the Options Market Predicting a Spike in Southern Missouri Bancorp (SMBC) Stock?

Company Overview - Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (SMBC) is experiencing significant attention from investors due to high implied volatility in its options market, particularly the Mar 21, 2025 $40.00 Put option [1] - The company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) within the Financial - Savings and Loan industry, which is positioned in the top 19% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] Analyst Sentiment - Over the past 60 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while one analyst has revised the estimate downward, leading to a decrease in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from$ 1.30 to $1.23 per share [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for Southern Missouri Bancorp shares, which could indicate an upcoming event that may lead to a substantial rally or sell-off [2][4] - Options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility, aiming to benefit from the decay of the option's value if the underlying stock does not move as much as expected by expiration [4]