Looking At American Express's Recent Unusual Options Activity

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on American Express AXP.

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 AXP, 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 spotted 12 uncommon options trades for American Express.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 33% bullish and 66%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $283,617, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $300,478.

What's The Price Target?

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $140.0 and $240.0 for American Express, spanning the last three months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in American Express's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to American Express's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $140.0 to $240.0 over the preceding 30 days.

American Express Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About American Express

American Express is a global financial institution, operating in about 130 countries, that provides consumers and businesses charge and credit card payment products. The company also operates a highly profitable merchant payment network. Since 2018, it has operated in three segments: global consumer services, global commercial services, and global merchant and network services. In addition to payment products, the company's commercial business offers expense management tools, consulting services, and business loans.

After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding American Express, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.

American Express's Current Market Status

• With a trading volume of 1,677,667, the price of AXP is down by -0.36%, reaching $205.66.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be overbought.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 73 days from now.

Expert Opinions on American Express

5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $206.0.

• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from RBC Capital continues to hold a Outperform rating for American Express, targeting a price of $226.
• An analyst from BMO Capital has decided to maintain their Underperform rating on American Express, which currently sits at a price target of $159.
• An analyst from Barclays persists with their Overweight rating on American Express, maintaining a target price of $220.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Oppenheimer keeps a Outperform rating on American Express with a target price of $219.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from UBS continues to hold a Neutral rating for American Express, targeting a price of $206.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for American Express with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.