Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Walmart WMT.
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 WMT, 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 34 uncommon options trades for Walmart.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 38% bullish and 52%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 18 are puts, for a total amount of $885,693, and 16 are calls, for a total amount of $1,066,408.
What's The Price Target?
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $53.33 to $75.0 for Walmart over the last 3 months.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Walmart'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 Walmart's whale trades within a strike price range from $53.33 to $75.0 in the last 30 days.
Walmart Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
Biggest Options Spotted:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 06/21/24 | $3.3 | $3.3 | $3.3 | $65.00 | $234.3K | 20.8K | 684 |
| WMT | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 06/21/24 | $3.25 | $3.2 | $3.25 | $65.00 | $213.8K | 20.8K | 3.6K |
| WMT | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 12/20/24 | $7.2 | $7.1 | $7.2 | $75.00 | $164.8K | 40 | 40 |
| WMT | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $1.95 | $1.92 | $1.92 | $75.00 | $155.9K | 1.1K | 59 |
| WMT | PUT | TRADE | BEARISH | 08/16/24 | $2.79 | $2.74 | $2.77 | $70.00 | $92.2K | 252 | 5 |
About Walmart
Walmart serves as the preeminent retailer in the United States, with its strategy predicated on superior operating efficiency and offering the lowest priced goods to consumers to drive robust store traffic and product turnover. Walmart augmented its low-price business strategy by offering a convenient one-stop shopping destination with the opening of its first supercenter in 1988.Today, Walmart operates over 4,600 stores in the United States (5,200 including Sam's Club) and over 10,000 stores globally. Walmart generated over $440 billion in domestic namesake sales in fiscal 2024, with Sam's Club contributing another $86 billion to the firm's top line. Internationally, Walmart generated $115 billion in sales. The retailer serves around 240 million customers globally each week.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Walmart, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
Walmart's Current Market Status
- Currently trading with a volume of 11,615,048, the WMT's price is up by 0.18%, now at $68.13.
- RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.
- Anticipated earnings release is in 55 days.
Expert Opinions on Walmart
In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $76.0.
- An analyst from Evercore ISI Group has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Walmart, which currently sits at a price target of $72.
- Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Telsey Advisory Group keeps a Outperform rating on Walmart with a target price of $75.
- An analyst from HSBC has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Walmart, which currently sits at a price target of $81.
- An analyst from Jefferies persists with their Buy rating on Walmart, maintaining a target price of $77.
- An analyst from Oppenheimer persists with their Outperform rating on Walmart, maintaining a target price of $75.
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 Walmart with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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