Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Merck & Co.
Looking at options history for Merck & Co MRK we detected 9 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 22% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 77% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $148,605 and 7, calls, for a total amount of $495,155.
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 $100.0 to $150.0 for Merck & Co over the last 3 months.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Merck & Co's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Merck & Co's significant trades, within a strike price range of $100.0 to $150.0, over the past month.
Merck & Co Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days
Largest Options Trades Observed:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRK | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $105.00 | $135.2K | 5.4K | 69 |
| MRK | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/19/24 | $100.00 | $123.7K | 4.4K | 69 |
| MRK | PUT | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 02/02/24 | $150.00 | $93.0K | 30 | 30 |
| MRK | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 06/21/24 | $100.00 | $62.8K | 1.2K | 0 |
| MRK | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 03/15/24 | $120.00 | $61.6K | 2.2K | 382 |
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.
Where Is Merck & Co Standing Right Now?
- Trading volume stands at 3,886,481, with MRK's price up by 0.28%, positioned at $118.76.
- RSI indicators show the stock to be may be overbought.
- Earnings announcement expected in 22 days.
What Analysts Are Saying About Merck & Co
Over the past month, 2 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $135.0.
- An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald has revised its rating downward to Overweight, adjusting the price target to $135.
- An analyst from TD Cowen upgraded its action to Outperform with a price target of $135.
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 Merck & Co, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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