This Is What Whales Are Betting On McDonald's

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on McDonald's MCD.

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 MCD, 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 10 uncommon options trades for McDonald's.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 30% bullish and 70%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $72,190, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $547,850.

Expected Price Movements

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $200.0 to $290.0 for McDonald's during the past quarter.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for McDonald's's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across McDonald's's significant trades, within a strike price range of $200.0 to $290.0, over the past month.

McDonald's Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Options Call Chart

Largest Options Trades Observed:

Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume
MCD CALL TRADE BULLISH 06/20/25 $76.0 $74.2 $76.0 $200.00 $152.0K 1 0
MCD CALL SWEEP BEARISH 04/26/24 $13.35 $12.85 $12.85 $255.00 $128.5K 2 0
MCD CALL SWEEP BEARISH 05/17/24 $5.75 $5.6 $5.6 $270.00 $84.0K 669 308
MCD CALL TRADE BULLISH 01/17/25 $37.25 $36.55 $37.25 $240.00 $74.5K 80 0
MCD PUT TRADE BEARISH 06/21/24 $15.8 $15.8 $15.8 $280.00 $39.5K 533 26

About McDonald's

McDonald's is the largest restaurant owner-operator in the world, with 2023 system sales of $130 billion across nearly than 42,000 stores and 115 markets. McDonald's pioneered the franchise model, building its footprint through partnerships with independent restaurant franchisees and master franchise partners around the globe. The firm earns roughly 60% of its revenue from franchise royalty fees and lease payments, with most of the remainder coming from company-operated stores across its three core segments: the United States, internationally operated markets, and international developmental/licensed markets.

Having examined the options trading patterns of McDonald's, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance

Where Is McDonald's Standing Right Now?

  • With a volume of 763,558, the price of MCD is down -0.77% at $265.5.
  • RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be oversold.
  • Next earnings are expected to be released in 21 days.

Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest McDonald's options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.

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Posted In: OptionsMarketsBZI-UOA
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