Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Merck & Co. Our analysis of options history for Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK) revealed 11 unusual trades.
Delving into the details, we found 63% of traders were bullish, while 36% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 6 were puts, with a value of $345,354, and 5 were calls, valued at $202,967.
Predicted Price Range
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $85.0 to $130.0 for Merck & Co during the past quarter.
Analyzing Volume & Open Interest
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Merck & Co's options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Merck & Co's whale activity within a strike price range from $85.0 to $130.0 in the last 30 days.
Merck & Co 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot
Noteworthy Options Activity:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRK | PUT | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/16/26 | $18.75 | $18.1 | $18.25 | $130.00 | $182.5K | 332 | 100 |
| MRK | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 09/06/24 | $1.99 | $1.98 | $1.99 | $116.00 | $49.9K | 180 | 327 |
| MRK | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $8.15 | $8.05 | $8.15 | $115.00 | $40.7K | 2.1K | 50 |
| MRK | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 10/18/24 | $1.86 | $1.8 | $1.81 | $120.00 | $39.8K | 12.6K | 635 |
| MRK | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 09/06/24 | $1.97 | $1.96 | $1.97 | $116.00 | $37.8K | 180 | 520 |
About Merck & Co
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent pediatric diseases as well as human papillomavirus, or HPV. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the company's sales are generated in the United States.
In light of the recent options history for Merck & Co, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
Present Market Standing of Merck & Co
- With a trading volume of 3,209,934, the price of MRK is down by -0.19%, reaching $116.38.
- Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings report is scheduled for 59 days from now.
Professional Analyst Ratings for Merck & Co
In the last month, 4 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $138.5.
- Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from B of A Securities keeps a Buy rating on Merck & Co with a target price of $145.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Overweight rating for Merck & Co, targeting a price of $142.
- An analyst from Wells Fargo persists with their Equal-Weight rating on Merck & Co, maintaining a target price of $125.
- An analyst from UBS has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Merck & Co, which currently sits at a price target of $142.
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 Merck & Co options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.