Decoding Verizon Communications's Options Activity: What's the Big Picture?

Investors with significant funds have taken a bearish position in Verizon Communications VZ, a development that retail traders should be aware of.

This was brought to our attention today through our monitoring of publicly accessible options data at Benzinga. The exact nature of these investors remains a mystery, but such a major move in VZ usually indicates foreknowledge of upcoming events.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner identified 8 options transactions for Verizon Communications. This is an unusual occurrence. The sentiment among these large-scale traders is mixed, with 37% being bullish and 62% bearish. Of all the options we discovered, 7 are puts, valued at $271,060, and there was a single call, worth $109,620.

Projected Price Targets

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $35.0 and $47.0 for Verizon Communications, spanning the last three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Verizon Communications options trades today is 5810.38 with a total volume of 2,903.00.

In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Verizon Communications's big money trades within a strike price range of $35.0 to $47.0 over the last 30 days.

Verizon Communications 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Biggest Options Spotted:

About Verizon Communications

Wireless services account for about 70% of Verizon Communications' total service revenue and nearly all of its operating income. The firm serves about 93 million postpaid and 21 million prepaid phone customers (following the acquisition of Tracfone) via its nationwide network, making it the largest U.S. wireless carrier. Fixed-line telecom operations include local networks in the Northeast, which reach about 25 million homes and businesses and serve about 8 million broadband customers. Verizon also provides telecom services nationwide to enterprise customers, often using a mixture of its own and other carriers' networks.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Verizon Communications, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Present Market Standing of Verizon Communications

• Currently trading with a volume of 6,300,926, the VZ's price is down by -0.12%, now at $40.61.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be oversold.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 57 days.

What Analysts Are Saying About Verizon Communications

3 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $42.333333333333336.

• An analyst from Citigroup has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Verizon Communications, which currently sits at a price target of $47.
• An analyst from Barclays downgraded its action to Equal-Weight with a price target of $44.
• An analyst from RBC Capital persists with their Sector Perform rating on Verizon Communications, maintaining a target price of $36.

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 Verizon Communications with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.