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Short-term options traders are targeting Facebook Inc (FB) and Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA)
The 20 stocks listed in the table below have attracted the highest total weekly options volume during the past 10 trading days. Names highlighted are new to the list since the last time the study was run, and data is courtesy of Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White. Two names of notable interest are social network Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and electric automaker Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA).
FB is 0.5% lower this afternoon at $78.44, despite announcing significant growth among active advertisers. Year-over-year, though, the shares remain 12.3% higher.
Meanwhile, options traders have blazed a bullish path toward FB. The stock's 10-day call/put volume ratio across the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) is 2.52 -- higher than three-quarters of all other readings from the last year.
In today's options pits, a number of short-term speculators are taking aim at higher highs for Facebook Inc. Specifically, some buy-to-open activity is detected at the weekly 2/27 79- and 80-strike calls.
TSLA, meanwhile, is struggling this afternoon -- down 1.4% at $204.50 -- following a price-target cut to $65 from $70 at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch. Also pressuring the shares are remarks from market pundit Jim Cramer, who classified TSLA as a "cold" stock.
These negative opinions aren't all that surprising, considering the equity has dropped more than 8% in 2015. Much of this year-to-date deficit is the result of a disappointing quarterly earnings report from earlier this month.
Elsewhere, despite some recent call buying, puts have been the contracts of choice in TSLA's options pits in recent weeks. The security's 10-day ISE/CBOE/PHLX put/call volume ratio of 1.09 is higher than 86% of all other readings from the last year.
In today's trading, however, put writers have been active. Specifically, Tesla Motors Inc's weekly 2/27 202.50 and 200 strikes are most popular, as the sellers wager on a short-term floor for the shares.