Alibaba stock saw unusually high options volume over the past two weeks
U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) are 6.6% higher at $110.47 at last check. The rally comes after the Trump administration delayed the suspension of the de minimis provision, which gives packages valued at less than $800 the ability to enter the U.S. duty-free, mostly benefiting low-cost Chinese shopping platforms.
Looking ahead, Alibaba is set to report earnings before the market opens on Thursday, Feb. 20. The stock hasn’t had the best post-earnings track record, closing lower after six of its last eight reports. Over the past two years, BABA has averaged a 4.2% next-day move, but options traders are now bracing for a larger 8.7% swing, regardless of direction.
Options activity has been buzzing, with Alibaba stock recently landing on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of equities with the highest options volume in the past two weeks. In the last 10 sessions alone, 4.2 million calls and 1.09 million puts have changed hands. During this time frame, the most popular contracts have been the weekly 1/31 100-strike call and the February 110 call.
Alibaba stock has been on fire to start the year, already up 29.4% year-to-date. Support at its 10-day moving average has helped fuel a 36% surge in just the last month. And zooming out, BABA boasts a 53.6% gain over the past year.
