Intel Unusual Options Activity For December 29

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Intel INTC.

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 INTC, 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 27 uncommon options trades for Intel.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 22% bullish and 77%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $94,315, and 24 are calls, for a total amount of $1,229,036.

What's The Price Target?

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $30.0 and $60.0 for Intel, spanning the last three months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Intel's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Intel's significant trades, within a strike price range of $30.0 to $60.0, over the past month.

Intel Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Intel

Intel is a leading digital chipmaker, focused on the design and manufacturing of microprocessors for the global personal computer and data center markets. Intel pioneered the x86 architecture for microprocessors and was the prime proponent of Moore's law for advances in semiconductor manufacturing. Intel remains the market share leader in central processing units in both the PC and server end markets. Intel has also been expanding into new adjacencies, such as communications infrastructure, automotive, and the Internet of Things. Further, Intel expects to leverage its chip manufacturing capabilities into an outsourced foundry model where it constructs chips for others.

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

Present Market Standing of Intel

• With a volume of 11,008,852, the price of INTC is down -0.2% at $50.29.
• RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings are expected to be released in 27 days.

What The Experts Say On Intel

In the last month, 3 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $50.0.

• An analyst from Benchmark has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Intel, which currently sits at a price target of $52.
• Showing optimism, an analyst from B of A Securities upgrades its rating to Neutral with a revised price target of $50.
• An analyst from Raymond James persists with their Outperform rating on Intel, maintaining a target price of $48.

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 Intel options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.