High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bullish on KLA (NASDAQ:KLAC), and it's important for retail traders to take note.\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in KLAC often signals that someone has privileged information.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 8 options trades for KLA. This is not a typical pattern.
The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 50% bullish and 37% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $25,900, and 7 calls, totaling $347,428.
What's The Price Target?
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $530.0 to $940.0 for KLA during the past quarter.
Analyzing 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 KLA's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across KLA's significant trades, within a strike price range of $530.0 to $940.0, over the past month.
KLA 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot
Largest Options Trades Observed:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLAC | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $164.0 | $161.0 | $161.0 | $720.00 | $161.0K | 55 | 0 |
| KLAC | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 06/28/24 | $23.3 | $19.4 | $20.95 | $815.00 | $40.6K | 38 | 4 |
| KLAC | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 06/20/25 | $174.0 | $172.0 | $174.0 | $760.00 | $34.8K | 9 | 0 |
| KLAC | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 07/19/24 | $310.4 | $303.0 | $308.0 | $530.00 | $30.8K | 0 | 0 |
| KLAC | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 09/20/24 | $55.9 | $54.1 | $55.3 | $850.00 | $27.6K | 40 | 0 |
About KLA
KLA is one of the largest semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment, or WFE, manufacturers in the world. It specializes in the market segment of semiconductor process control, wherein machines inspect semiconductor wafers during research and development and manufacturing for defects and verify precise measurements. In this section of the market, KLA holds a majority share. It also has a small exposure to the etch and deposition segments of the WFE market. It counts as top customers the largest chipmakers in the world, including TSMC and Samsung.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding KLA, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
Current Position of KLA
- Currently trading with a volume of 279,363, the KLAC's price is up by 1.61%, now at $827.95.
- RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.
- Anticipated earnings release is in 27 days.
What The Experts Say On KLA
3 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $863.3333333333334.
- An analyst from Barclays has elevated its stance to Equal-Weight, setting a new price target at $765.
- An analyst from Wells Fargo has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on KLA, which currently sits at a price target of $950.
- An analyst from Raymond James persists with their Outperform rating on KLA, maintaining a target price of $875.
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.