Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Mastercard (NYSE: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 19 uncommon options trades for Mastercard.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 31% bullish and 52%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 15 are puts, for a total amount of $726,602, and 4 are calls, for a total amount of $283,825.
Projected Price Targets
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $370.0 to $580.0 for Mastercard over the last 3 months.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Mastercard stands at 652.67, with a total volume reaching 2,560.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Mastercard, situated within the strike price corridor from $370.0 to $580.0, throughout the last 30 days.
Mastercard Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days
Noteworthy Options Activity:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 01/16/26 | $62.6 | $59.65 | $61.35 | $500.00 | $153.3K | 528 | 26 |
| MA | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 01/17/25 | $146.15 | $142.0 | $143.86 | $370.00 | $71.9K | 2.9K | 103 |
| MA | PUT | TRADE | BEARISH | 03/21/25 | $19.45 | $19.1 | $19.45 | $520.00 | $56.4K | 129 | 312 |
| MA | PUT | TRADE | BEARISH | 03/21/25 | $21.2 | $20.8 | $21.2 | $525.00 | $53.0K | 195 | 116 |
| MA | PUT | TRADE | BEARISH | 03/21/25 | $21.7 | $20.45 | $21.34 | $525.00 | $51.2K | 195 | 91 |
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.
Current Position of Mastercard
- With a volume of 923,345, the price of MA is up 0.23% at $513.1.
- RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching oversold.
- Next earnings are expected to be released in 22 days.
Professional Analyst Ratings for Mastercard
In the last month, 4 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $617.5.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods continues to hold a Outperform rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $618. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Morgan Stanley continues to hold a Overweight rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $654. * An analyst from Oppenheimer has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Mastercard, which currently sits at a price target of $588. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Jefferies keeps a Buy rating on Mastercard with a target price of $610.
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Mastercard with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.
