Looking At American Express's Recent Unusual Options Activity

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on American Express AXP.

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 AXP, 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 11 uncommon options trades for American Express.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 54% bullish and 45%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 6 are puts, for a total amount of $665,467, and 5 are calls, for a total amount of $296,665.

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 $200.0 for American Express 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 American Express's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across American Express's significant trades, within a strike price range of $100.0 to $200.0, over the past month.

American Express Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About American Express

American Express is a global financial institution, operating in about 130 countries, that provides consumers and businesses charge and credit card payment products. The company also operates a highly profitable merchant payment network. Since 2018, it has operated in three segments: global consumer services, global commercial services, and global merchant and network services. In addition to payment products, the company's commercial business offers expense management tools, consulting services, and business loans.

After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding American Express, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.

Current Position of American Express

• Currently trading with a volume of 1,108,826, the AXP's price is up by 1.7%, now at $168.47.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be overbought.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 58 days.

Expert Opinions on American Express

2 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $171.0.

• An analyst from TD Cowen downgraded its action to Market Perform with a price target of $158.
• In a cautious move, an analyst from Barclays downgraded its rating to Overweight, setting a price target of $184.

Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest American Express options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.