Smart Money Is Betting Big In WMT Options
Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Walmart (NYSE:WMT).
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 WMT, 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 15 uncommon options trades for Walmart.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 40% bullish and 40%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $182,135, and 12 are calls, for a total amount of $1,711,660.
Expected Price Movements
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $53.33 to $75.0 for Walmart during the past quarter.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Walmart's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Walmart's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $53.33 to $75.0 over the preceding 30 days.
Walmart Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
Noteworthy Options Activity:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $18.95 | $16.65 | $18.65 | $53.33 | $372.9K | 13.4K | 11 |
| WMT | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 07/19/24 | $10.85 | $10.8 | $10.8 | $60.00 | $322.9K | 8.0K | 723 |
| WMT | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 07/19/24 | $10.8 | $10.8 | $10.8 | $60.00 | $216.0K | 8.0K | 343 |
| WMT | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $18.5 | $18.15 | $18.46 | $53.33 | $184.9K | 13.4K | 211 |
| WMT | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 10/18/24 | $3.55 | $3.5 | $3.5 | $70.00 | $175.0K | 419 | 339 |
About Walmart
Walmart serves as the preeminent retailer in the United States, with its strategy predicated on superior operating efficiency and offering the lowest priced goods to consumers to drive robust store traffic and product turnover. Walmart augmented its low-price business strategy by offering a convenient one-stop shopping destination with the opening of its first supercenter in 1988.Today, Walmart operates over 4,600 stores in the United States (5,200 including Sam's Club) and over 10,000 stores globally. Walmart generated over $440 billion in domestic namesake sales in fiscal 2024, with Sam's Club contributing another $86 billion to the firm's top line. Internationally, Walmart generated $115 billion in sales. The retailer serves around 240 million customers globally each week.
In light of the recent options history for Walmart, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
Where Is Walmart Standing Right Now?
- With a trading volume of 3,721,667, the price of WMT is down by -0.65%, reaching $70.57.
- Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings report is scheduled for 28 days from now.
What The Experts Say On Walmart
Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $75.4.
- An analyst from Stifel persists with their Hold rating on Walmart, maintaining a target price of $71.
- An analyst from Keybanc has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Walmart, which currently sits at a price target of $82.
- An analyst from Deutsche Bank has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Walmart, which currently sits at a price target of $77.
- An analyst from Evercore ISI Group persists with their Outperform rating on Walmart, maintaining a target price of $73.
- Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Evercore ISI Group keeps a Outperform rating on Walmart with a target price of $74.
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 Walmart options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.