Investors with significant funds have taken a bullish position in Mastercard (NYSE:MA), a development that retail traders should be aware of.
This was brought to our attention today through our monitoring of publicly accessible options data at Benzinga. The exact nature of these investors remains a mystery, but such a major move in MA usually indicates foreknowledge of upcoming events.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner identified 10 options transactions for Mastercard. This is an unusual occurrence. The sentiment among these large-scale traders is mixed, with 60% being bullish and 40% bearish. Of all the options we discovered, 9 are puts, valued at $481,286, and there was a single call, worth $31,600.
Projected Price Targets
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $410.0 to $490.0 for Mastercard over the recent three months.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
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 $410.0 to $490.0 in the last 30 days.
Mastercard Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
Significant Options Trades Detected:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 06/21/24 | $490.00 | $68.3K | 320 | 58 |
| MA | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 06/21/24 | $490.00 | $67.1K | 320 | 98 |
| MA | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 06/21/24 | $490.00 | $66.5K | 320 | 131 |
| MA | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 06/21/24 | $490.00 | $64.6K | 320 | 164 |
| MA | PUT | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 06/21/24 | $490.00 | $49.8K | 320 | 25 |
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.
Mastercard's Current Market Status
- Currently trading with a volume of 262,980, the MA's price is down by -0.5%, now at $475.56.
- RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.
- Anticipated earnings release is in 28 days.
Professional Analyst Ratings for Mastercard
Over the past month, 4 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $523.75.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Jefferies continues to hold a Buy rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $540.
- Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Wells Fargo keeps a Overweight rating on Mastercard with a target price of $530.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Mizuho continues to hold a Buy rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $480.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Evercore ISI Group continues to hold a Outperform rating for Mastercard, targeting a price of $545.
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.