Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on MRK Options

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bullish on Merck & Co MRK, and it's important for retail traders to take note. \This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in MRK often signals that someone has privileged information.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 8 options trades for Merck & Co. This is not a typical pattern.

The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 62% bullish and 37% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $33,529, and 7 calls, totaling $519,512.

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 $105.0 to $135.0 for Merck & Co during the past quarter.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.

This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Merck & Co's options for a given strike price.

Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Merck & Co's whale activity within a strike price range from $105.0 to $135.0 in the last 30 days.

Merck & Co Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About Merck & Co

Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent pediatric diseases as well as human papillomavirus, or HPV. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the company's sales are generated in the United States.

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

Current Position of Merck & Co

• With a trading volume of 5,754,786, the price of MRK is up by 0.25%, reaching $125.37.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 8 days from now.

Professional Analyst Ratings for Merck & Co

5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $138.0.

• An analyst from Berenberg has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Merck & Co, which currently sits at a price target of $143.
• An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald has revised its rating downward to Overweight, adjusting the price target to $135.
• In a cautious move, an analyst from Truist Securities downgraded its rating to Buy, setting a price target of $142.
• In a cautious move, an analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded its rating to Overweight, setting a price target of $135.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Wells Fargo continues to hold a Equal-Weight rating for Merck & Co, targeting a price of $135.

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 Merck & Co with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.