Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Mastercard MA.
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 MA, 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 9 uncommon options trades for Mastercard.
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, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $137,680, and 5 are calls, for a total amount of $200,141.
Expected Price Movements
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $455.0 to $540.0 for Mastercard over the recent three months.
Insights into Volume & Open Interest
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Mastercard's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Mastercard's significant trades, within a strike price range of $455.0 to $540.0, over the past month.
Mastercard Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days
Significant Options Trades Detected:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 06/20/25 | $37.55 | $35.7 | $36.05 | $490.00 | $54.0K | 166 | 19 |
| MA | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $32.7 | $31.5 | $31.5 | $465.00 | $47.2K | 107 | 17 |
| MA | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 03/21/25 | $8.4 | $7.6 | $8.4 | $540.00 | $44.5K | 63 | 58 |
| MA | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $28.5 | $28.25 | $28.25 | $470.00 | $42.3K | 535 | 23 |
| MA | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 09/06/24 | $19.3 | $18.85 | $18.85 | $455.00 | $37.7K | 60 | 30 |
About Mastercard
Mastercard is the second-largest payment processor in the world, having processed close to over $9 trillion in volume during 2023. Mastercard operates in over 200 countries and processes transactions in over 150 currencies.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Mastercard, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
Present Market Standing of Mastercard
- With a volume of 668,992, the price of MA is down -1.15% at $469.52.
- RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings are expected to be released in 57 days.
Professional Analyst Ratings for Mastercard
Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $537.8.
- An analyst from JP Morgan persists with their Overweight rating on Mastercard, maintaining a target price of $570.
- An analyst from RBC Capital persists with their Outperform rating on Mastercard, maintaining a target price of $526.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Buy rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $538.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Keybanc continues to hold a Overweight rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $515.
- Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Susquehanna keeps a Positive rating on Mastercard with a target price of $540.
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 Mastercard options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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