Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on NIO (NYSE:NIO).

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 NIO, 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 13 uncommon options trades for NIO.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 69% bullish and 23%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 7 are puts, for a total amount of $417,382, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $225,986.

Projected Price Targets

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $2.5 to $10.0 for NIO during the past quarter.

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 NIO'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 NIO's whale trades within a strike price range from $2.5 to $10.0 in the last 30 days.

NIO Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About NIO

Nio is a leading electric vehicle maker, targeting the premium segment. Founded in November 2014, Nio designs, develops, jointly manufactures, and sells premium smart electric vehicles. The company differentiates itself through continuous technological breakthroughs and innovations such as battery swapping and autonomous driving technologies. Nio launched its first model, its ES8 seven-seater electric SUV, in December 2017, and began deliveries in June 2018. Its current model portfolio includes midsize to large sedans and SUVs. It sold over 160,000 EVs in 2023, accounting for about 2% of the China passenger new energy vehicle market.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with NIO, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Current Position of NIO

• With a volume of 48,983,454, the price of NIO is up 3.12% at $6.43.
• RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings are expected to be released in 55 days.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.

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.