AMC Options Traders Aren't Discouraged, Repeatedly Hammer Calls

On Friday morning, Iceberg Research announced it had taken a short position in AMC Entertainment Holdings AMC. Iceberg said options traders have lost money due to the stock trading sideways for the month of June and that the pump around the stock looks shaky.

The news didn’t stop institutions from continuously hammering AMC call contracts and on Friday options traders had purchased over $2.59 million worth. The expiration dates for the contracts ranged from today up until Dec. 17 and a few traders chose a strike price of a whopping $145.

AMC’s stock broke bearishly from a symmetrical triangle it had formed through its sideways trading on Friday, but held a support level at $47.91 and bounced from it. Bulls would like to see the dip continue to be bought and for AMC to end the day by printing a hammer candlestick and closing above the 21-day exponential moving average.

See Also: How to Buy AMC Stock Right Now

Why It’s Important: When a sweep order occurs, it indicates the trader wanted to get into a position quickly and is anticipating an imminent large move in stock price. A sweeper pays market price for the call or put option instead of placing a bid, which sweeps the order book of multiple exchanges to fill the order immediately.

These types of call option orders are usually made by institutions, and retail investors can find watching for sweepers useful because it indicates “smart money” has entered into a position.

The AMC Option Trades: Below is a look at the notable options alerts, courtesy of Benzinga Pro:

• At 9:42 a.m., Friday a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 265 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $59 expiring on July 9. The trade represented a $52,205 bullish bet for which the trader paid $1.97 per option contract.
• At 9:51 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 247 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $65 expiring on Aug. 20. The trade represented a $221,065 bullish bet for which the trader paid $8.95 per option contract.
• At 9:52 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 248 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $120 expiring on Dec. 17. The trade represented a $260,400 bullish bet for which the trader paid $10.50 per option contract.
• At 9:53 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 356 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $65 expiring on Aug. 20. The trade represented a $311,500 bullish bet for which the trader paid $8.75 per option contract.
• At 9:53 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 310 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $65 expiring on Aug. 20. The trade represented a $266,600 bullish bet for which the trader paid $8.60 per option contract.
• At 9:56 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 310 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $65 expiring on Aug. 20. The trade represented a $266,600 bullish bet for which the trader paid $8.60 per option contract.
• At 9:57 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 300 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $28 expiring on July 2. The trade represented a $221,065 bullish bet for which the trader paid $23.40 per option contract.
• At 9:58 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 289 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $120 expiring on Dec., 17. The trade represented a $303,450 bullish bet for which the trader paid $10.50 per option contract.
• At 9:58 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 580 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $55 expiring on July 16. The trade represented a $278,400 bullish bet for which the trader paid $4.80 per option contract.
• At 10:07 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 258 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $80 expiring on July 16. The trade represented a $39,216 bullish bet for which the trader paid $1.52 per option contract.
• At 10:24 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 352 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $50 expiring on July 2. The trade represented a $54,560 bullish bet for which the trader paid $1.55 per option contract.
• At 10:26 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 234 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $145 expiring on July 23. The trade represented a $39,216 bullish bet for which the trader paid $1.31 per option contract.
• At 10:31 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 224 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $145 expiring on Sept. 17. The trade represented a $105,280 bullish bet for which the trader paid $4.70 per option contract.
• At 10:38 a.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 500 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $47 expiring on July 2. The trade represented a $146,000 bullish bet for which the trader paid $2.92 per option contract.
• At 12:02 p.m., a trader executed a call sweep near the bid of 500 AMC Entertainment options with a strike price of $45 expiring on July 9. The trade represented a $305,000 bullish bet for which the trader paid $6.10 per option contract.

AMC Price Action: Shares of AMC Entertainment were trading down 5.3% to $51.33 at publication time.