Unpacking the Latest Options Trading Trends in Valaris

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Valaris VAL.

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 VAL, 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 17 uncommon options trades for Valaris.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 17% bullish and 58%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 15 are puts, for a total amount of $1,816,188, and 2 are calls, for a total amount of $53,800.

Predicted Price Range

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $30.0 to $45.0 for Valaris during the past quarter.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Valaris stands at 325.91, with a total volume reaching 17,033.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Valaris, situated within the strike price corridor from $30.0 to $45.0, throughout the last 30 days.

Valaris 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Biggest Options Spotted:

About Valaris

Valaris Ltd is an offshore contract drilling company. The company provides offshore contract drilling services to the international oil and gas industry with operations in almost every offshore market across six continents. Its business consists of four operating segments: Floaters, which includes drillships and semisubmersible rigs; Jackups; ARO; and Other, which consists of management services on rigs owned by third parties. It generates the majority of its revenue from the Floaters segment.

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

Where Is Valaris Standing Right Now?

• Trading volume stands at 3,733,275, with VAL's price up by 3.67%, positioned at $34.05.
• RSI indicators show the stock to be may be oversold.
• Earnings announcement expected in 57 days.

Professional Analyst Ratings for Valaris

A total of 2 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $46.5.

Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?

20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Susquehanna continues to hold a Neutral rating for Valaris, targeting a price of $47. * An analyst from Barclays persists with their Equal-Weight rating on Valaris, maintaining a target price of $46.

Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.

If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Valaris, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.