In Wednesday’s unusual options activity, there were 1,025 calls and puts, with Vol/OI (volume-to-open-interest) ratios ranging from 1.24 to 187.91 for NuScale Power (SMR). Among the top 35 options for Vol/OI ratios, two stocks jump out to me as potential straddle candidates. Whether bullish or bearish, both are recognizable household names. More News from Barchart For those unfamiliar, there are long straddles and short straddles. The former involves buying a call and a put option at identical strike p ...

Core Insights - Nvidia is set to report earnings on November 19, with the options market anticipating an 8% price movement in either direction [1] - The stock has historically remained above the lower end of the expected range during earnings announcements [1] Options Trading Strategy - A bull put spread can be structured based on the expectation that Nvidia stock will stay within the expected range and respond positively to the earnings report [2] - The proposed trade involves selling the November 19, 177.50-strike put and buying the 175 put, creating a bull put spread [3] Trade Details - The bull put spread recently traded for approximately $0.45 per share, yielding $45 in option premium for a 100-share contract, with a maximum risk of $205 [4] - This represents a potential return on risk of 21.95% if Nvidia stock remains above 177.50 by expiration [4] - The break-even point for this trade is calculated at 177.05, factoring in the option premium [5] Market Context - Nvidia stock experienced a decline, trading near $186, prompting consideration of alternative strike prices for the trade [5] - The potential for a 21% return in a short timeframe is appealing, but the risk of losing the entire investment is significant, indicating this trade is suited for high-risk tolerance investors [6] Stock Ratings - Nvidia stock holds a Composite Rating of 99, an Earnings Per Share Rating of 99, and a Relative Strength Rating of 86, ranking first in its group according to Investor's Business Daily [7]

Core Insights - High-rolling investors are bullish on Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), indicating potential privileged information influencing their trading decisions [1] - The sentiment among major traders is predominantly bullish, with 75% of options trades being calls and only 0% bearish [2] - Significant price targets for Amgen have been identified, ranging from $290.0 to $400.0 over the last three months [3] Options Trading Activity - A total of 8 options trades were detected for Amgen, with a notable imbalance favoring calls over puts [1][2] - The total trade price for the identified options includes $422,130 for calls and $30,600 for a put [2] - Recent options trades include various strike prices, with significant trades such as a bullish call for $400.00 expiring on January 16, 2026, totaling $180.6K [8] Company Overview - Amgen is a leader in biotechnology, known for its therapeutics including Epogen, Neupogen, and Enbrel, among others [9] - The company has expanded its portfolio through acquisitions and recent drug launches, including treatments for cancer and rare diseases [9] - Amgen's current market position is supported by expert ratings, with an average target price of $314.67 from three analysts [11][12] Current Market Status - Amgen's stock is currently trading at $337.81, reflecting a 0.45% increase [14] - The stock's trading volume is reported at 163,220, with RSI readings suggesting it may be overbought [14] - Anticipated earnings release is scheduled in 82 days, which may impact future trading activity [14]

Group 1 - AMD's stock has seen significant growth, rising from a target price of $200 to around $260, with a new high target price of $350 [1][2] - AMD has transitioned from an underdog in the AI chip market to a primary supplier, with data center revenue projected to grow by 60% annually over the next three years [2] - Despite AMD's market capitalization being $386.7 billion compared to Nvidia's $4.7 trillion, analysts remain optimistic about AMD's stock performance [2] Group 2 - The recent price movements and Q3 financials suggest a more favorable environment for selling options rather than buying deep in-the-money call options [3] - Understanding volatility is crucial in options trading, as it affects the pricing of options based on expected price movements of the underlying asset [4] - Historical Volatility (HV) reflects past stock movements, while Implied Volatility (IV) indicates market expectations for future movements, with higher IV leading to higher option prices [5][6]

Core Insights - Intuitive Surgical has seen a bearish sentiment from large investors, with 61% of trades being bearish and only 38% bullish [1] - The predicted price range for Intuitive Surgical's stock is between $480.0 and $650.0 over the last three months [2] - Recent options activity indicates significant interest in both call and put options, with a total of $251,378 in puts and $463,576 in calls detected [1] Options Activity - A total of 13 trades were detected, with 6 puts and 7 calls, indicating a mixed sentiment among investors [1] - Significant options trades include a bullish call with a total trade price of $108.0K at a strike price of $580.00 and a bearish call with a total trade price of $48.1K at a strike price of $650.00 [8] - The volume and open interest trends for options within the $480.0 to $650.0 strike price range have been monitored over the last 30 days, indicating liquidity and interest [3] Company Overview - Intuitive Surgical develops and markets a robotic system for minimally invasive surgery, with over 10,000 da Vinci systems installed globally [9][10] - The company has a strong presence in the U.S. with more than 6,000 installations and is expanding in emerging markets [9] Analyst Ratings - Analysts have issued a consensus target price of $569.2 for Intuitive Surgical, with individual targets ranging from $525 to $603 from various firms [11][12] - Truist Securities, BTIG, Raymond James, and Wells Fargo have all maintained positive ratings on the stock, indicating confidence in its future performance [12] Current Market Performance - The current trading volume for Intuitive Surgical is 514,806, with the stock price at $575.68, reflecting a slight decrease of -0.09% [14] - Current RSI values suggest that the stock may be overbought, indicating potential caution for investors [14]

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX).And retail traders should know.We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with SBUX, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.So how do we know what these investors just did? Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotte ...

Back to market on close. Core Weef will be in the spotlight this afternoon when the company reports earnings after the closing bell. Estimates are for a loss of 39 cents per share on revenue of $1.28% billion.Investors will be waiting for updates on large contracts announced with Meta and Nvidia and how they'll impact the bottom line. Shares are down more than 40% from June's all-time high right now. The stock finished more than 20% lower just last week.So that means it's time for Options Corner. of course ...

Core Insights - Strive Inc (NASDAQ:ASST) has raised $149.3 million through an offering of 2 million shares of its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Preferred Stock, SATA, to acquire 1,567 Bitcoin, increasing its total holdings to 7,525 Bitcoin, positioning it as a top corporate holder [1] - The stock price of Strive has increased by 2% to $1.54, despite a significant decline in September and October, it remains up 215% year-to-date [2] - The company has attracted notable options activity, with 6,395,981 calls and 285,683 puts exchanged in the last 10 days, indicating strong interest from options traders [4] Options Activity - Strive Inc made a rare appearance on a list of stocks with the highest options volume, with the most activity centered around the weekly 10/31 1.50-strike call [4] - In comparison to other stocks, Strive's total options volume of 6,681,664 ranks it among the top stocks for options trading in the past 10 days [5]

Core Insights - Deep-pocketed investors are showing a bullish sentiment towards Charles Schwab, indicating potential significant developments ahead [1] - A notable 32 extraordinary options activities have been recorded for Charles Schwab, with 75% of investors leaning bullish and 18% bearish [2] - The projected price targets for Charles Schwab range from $57.5 to $110.0 based on recent options activities [3] Options Activity - The volume and open interest in options trading provide insights into liquidity and investor interest, particularly within the strike price range of $57.5 to $110.0 over the past month [4] - Significant options trades include a bullish call trade with a total price of $251.5K and various put trades totaling $95.7K and $77.7K, indicating a mix of bullish sentiment [9] Company Overview - Charles Schwab is a leading retail-oriented financial services company in the US, managing $11.6 trillion in client assets across various segments [10] - The company generates most of its revenue from its banking and asset management segments, holding over 40% market share in registered investment advisor custody [10] Analyst Ratings - Recent analyst ratings for Charles Schwab show a consensus target price of $121.6, with various analysts maintaining bullish ratings and target prices ranging from $113 to $139 [12][13] Current Market Position - As of the latest data, Charles Schwab's trading volume stands at 4,626,757, with the stock price at $94.87, reflecting a slight decline of -0.39% [15]

Core Insights - Whales have adopted a bullish stance on Caterpillar, with 50% of trades reflecting bullish expectations and 36% bearish [1] - Major market movers are focusing on a price band between $295.0 and $890.0 for Caterpillar over the last three months [2] - The trading volume for Caterpillar stands at 749,393, with the stock price at $570.39, reflecting a 1.3% increase [15] Options Trading Analysis - A total of 30 options trades were detected for Caterpillar, with 4 puts totaling $209,031 and 26 calls amounting to $1,901,263 [1] - The volume and open interest metrics indicate significant liquidity and investor interest in Caterpillar's options, particularly within the strike price range of $295.0 to $890.0 over the past 30 days [3] - The largest observed options trades include multiple bullish call trades with significant total trade prices, such as a $447.8K trade at a strike price of $26.5 [8] Market Position and Expert Opinions - Caterpillar is recognized as the leading manufacturer in construction and mining equipment, with a market share approaching 20% across many products [9] - Recent expert ratings suggest an average target price of $544.6, with varying opinions from analysts, including a lowered rating to Sector Perform with a new target of $560 [12][13] - The company operates a global network of over 150 dealers, providing extensive reach for sales and support services across approximately 190 countries [10]