Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Mastercard (NYSE:MA), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in MA usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 8 extraordinary options activities for Mastercard. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 25% leaning bullish and 37% bearish. Among these notable options, 3 are puts, totaling $148,600, and 5 are calls, amounting to $433,081.
Projected Price Targets
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $400.0 to $460.0 for Mastercard over the recent three months.
Volume & Open Interest Development
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Mastercard'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 Mastercard's whale trades within a strike price range from $400.0 to $460.0 in the last 30 days.
Mastercard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 08/16/24 | $7.0 | $6.4 | $6.4 | $460.00 | $256.1K | 682 | 413 |
| MA | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 09/20/24 | $8.15 | $7.35 | $7.35 | $425.00 | $80.8K | 272 | 6 |
| MA | CALL | SWEEP | NEUTRAL | 03/21/25 | $80.0 | $75.0 | $77.5 | $400.00 | $54.2K | 18 | 14 |
| MA | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 03/21/25 | $86.5 | $66.85 | $74.85 | $400.00 | $52.3K | 18 | 14 |
| MA | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 06/20/25 | $48.8 | $40.0 | $44.55 | $460.00 | $44.5K | 483 | 10 |
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.
In light of the recent options history for Mastercard, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
Current Position of Mastercard
- Trading volume stands at 1,030,244, with MA's price down by -3.03%, positioned at $448.03.
- RSI indicators show the stock to be is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
- Earnings announcement expected in 80 days.
What Analysts Are Saying About Mastercard
In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $515.8.
- An analyst from TD Cowen persists with their Buy rating on Mastercard, maintaining a target price of $533.
- An analyst from B of A Securities has revised its rating downward to Neutral, adjusting the price target to $480.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from RBC Capital continues to hold a Outperform rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $526.
- An analyst from JP Morgan persists with their Overweight rating on Mastercard, maintaining a target price of $500.
- Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Susquehanna keeps a Positive rating on Mastercard with a target price of $540.
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.
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