Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Applied Mat (NASDAQ:AMAT).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 AMAT, 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 spot ...

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Robinhood Markets.Looking at options history for Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) we detected 25 trades.If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 24% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 68% with bearish.From the overall spotted trades, 10 are puts, for a total amount of $468,191 and 15, calls, for a total amount of $1,649,044.Expected Price MovementsBased on the trading activi ...

Core Insights - Financial giants have shown a bearish sentiment towards KLA, with 40% of traders exhibiting bearish tendencies compared to 37% who are bullish [1] - The predicted price range for KLA is between $760.0 and $1360.0 based on recent options activity [2] - The average open interest for KLA options is 73.4, with a total volume of 325.00, indicating significant trading activity within the specified price range [3] Options Activity - A total of 27 unusual trades were identified for KLA, with 5 puts valued at $197,160 and 22 calls valued at $1,501,664 [1] - Noteworthy options activity includes various trades with different sentiments, such as bullish, neutral, and bearish, with significant trade prices and strike prices [9] - The current market status shows a mixed sentiment from analysts, with target prices ranging from $1135 to $1350 [12][13] Company Overview - KLA is a leading manufacturer of semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment, specializing in semiconductor process control [10] - The company holds a majority share in its market segment and serves top customers like TSMC and Samsung [10] - KLA's stock is currently priced at $1148.89, reflecting a decrease of 1.1% [15]

Core Insights - Investors with significant capital have adopted a bearish stance on PayPal Holdings, indicating potential insider knowledge of upcoming events [1] - The overall sentiment among large traders is nearly balanced, with 43% bullish and 47% bearish positions [2] Options Activity - A total of 55 uncommon options trades for PayPal Holdings were identified, with 7 puts amounting to $225,800 and 48 calls totaling $2,686,976 [2] - The mean open interest for PayPal options trades is 4,826.67, with a total volume of 60,478.00 [4] Price Movements - Whales have targeted a price range for PayPal Holdings between $35.0 and $115.0 over the last three months [3] Market Standing - PayPal Holdings had 434 million active accounts at the end of 2024, providing electronic payment solutions with a focus on online transactions [12] - Analysts have proposed an average target price of $86.8 for PayPal Holdings, with varying ratings from different firms [13][14] Current Stock Performance - The current price of PayPal Holdings (PYPL) is $64.14, reflecting a decrease of 1.82% with a trading volume of 12,629,241 [16]

Core Insights - Financial institutions are showing a bullish sentiment towards Micron Technology, with 40% of traders being bullish and 38% bearish, indicating a mixed market outlook [1] - The major market movers are focusing on a price range between $125.0 and $380.0 for Micron Technology over the past three months [2] Options Trading Analysis - The mean open interest for Micron Technology options trades is 2329.53, with a total volume of 198,272.00, reflecting significant trading activity [3] - A total of 137 unusual trades were identified, with 31 puts valued at $5,934,547 and 106 calls valued at $9,528,865, suggesting a higher interest in call options [1][3] Significant Options Trades - Notable trades include a call option with a total trade price of $367.3K and a put option with a total trade price of $322.9K, indicating varying trader sentiments [8] - The highest price target set by analysts for Micron Technology is $325, with several analysts maintaining buy or outperform ratings [11] Company Overview - Micron Technology is a leading semiconductor company specializing in memory and storage chips, primarily generating revenue from DRAM and having exposure to NAND flash chips [9] - The company serves a diverse global customer base across various sectors, including data centers, mobile phones, and automotive applications [9]

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in CSCO usually suggests something big is about to happen.We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 20 extraordinary options activities for Cis ...

Blue-chip retail stock Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) is sliding today, after reports that CEO Doug McMillon is retiring in January after more than a decade in charge. John Furner, currently CEO of Walmart U.S., will succeed him on Feb. 1. At last check, WMT was down 1.7% at $100.83. The shares earlier dipped low as $98.90, dropping below $100 that has been a floor since early September. Support at the 160-day moving average appears to be keeping today's pullback in check as well. Though the stock has fallen a bit ...

Core Insights - On December 10, investors will face significant event risk due to multiple factors impacting the market [1] Group 1 - The date marks a critical point for investors as they navigate through heightened uncertainty [1]

Core Insights - Financial giants are showing a bearish sentiment towards Joby Aviation, with 72% of traders indicating bearish tendencies and only 27% bullish [1] - The price target for Joby Aviation has been identified in the range of $10.0 to $32.0 over the last three months, based on options activity [2] - The mean open interest for Joby Aviation options trades is 4423.67, with a total volume of 9,190.00, indicating significant trading activity [3] Options Activity - Notable options activity includes several bearish put trades, with a total trade price of $709.5K for a put option expiring on 01/16/26 at a strike price of $15.00 [8] - A bearish sentiment is also reflected in a put option trade valued at $472.0K expiring on 01/15/27 with a strike price of $12.00 [8] - There are also bullish call options, but they are significantly outweighed by the bearish puts in terms of total trade value [8] Company Overview - Joby Aviation is developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi designed for urban routes, capable of carrying a pilot and up to four passengers [9] - The aircraft can travel at speeds of up to 200 mph with a range of 100 miles on a single charge, targeting commercial passenger service [9] - Currently, Joby Aviation generates revenue solely from flight services provided to the U.S. Department of Defense [10] Market Sentiment - Analysts have issued mixed ratings for Joby Aviation, with a consensus target price of $15.0, while one analyst has lowered their rating to Buy with a new target of $22, and another maintains an Underweight rating with a target of $8 [11][12] - The current trading volume stands at 13,618,588, with the stock price down by 2.45% at $15.9, indicating a neutral RSI status [14]

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 ...