Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish 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 11 uncommon options trades for Mastercard.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 36% bullish and 27%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 6 are puts, for a total amount of $291,339, and 5 are calls, for a total amount of $427,272.

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 $440.0 to $550.0 for Mastercard during the past quarter.

Insights into 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 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 activity within a strike price range from $440.0 to $550.0 in the last 30 days.

Mastercard Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Biggest Options Spotted:

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.

Present Market Standing of Mastercard

• Currently trading with a volume of 601,961, the MA's price is down by -0.43%, now at $485.01.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 44 days.

Professional Analyst Ratings for Mastercard

A total of 3 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $538.3333333333334.

• An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Mastercard, which currently sits at a price target of $570.
• In a cautious move, an analyst from Compass Point downgraded its rating to Neutral, setting a price target of $525.
• An analyst from BMO Capital has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Mastercard, which currently sits at a price target of $520.

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.