Someone with a lot of money to spend has taken a bullish stance on Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the big position showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether this is an institution or just a wealthy individual, we don't know. But when something this big happens with PANW, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 10 options trades for Palo Alto Networks.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 70% bullish and 30%, bearish.
Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $38,685, and 9, calls, for a total amount of $526,681..
What's The Price Target?
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $150.0 to $200.0 for Palo Alto Networks over the last 3 months.
Volume & Open Interest Development
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 Palo Alto Networks'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 Palo Alto Networks's whale activity within a strike price range from $150.0 to $200.0 in the last 30 days.
Palo Alto Networks Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days
Biggest Options Spotted:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PANW | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 11/04/22 | $180.00 | $106.0K | 372 | 207 |
| PANW | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 01/20/23 | $186.67 | $97.2K | 1.1K | 90 |
| PANW | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 12/16/22 | $200.00 | $95.9K | 770 | 222 |
| PANW | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/20/23 | $200.00 | $65.0K | 2.0K | 101 |
| PANW | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 11/04/22 | $180.00 | $53.0K | 372 | 207 |
Where Is Palo Alto Networks Standing Right Now?
- With a volume of 673,628, the price of PANW is up 2.73% at $174.33.
- RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings are expected to be released in 44 days.
What The Experts Say On Palo Alto Networks:
- Wolfe Research has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Palo Alto Networks, which currently sits at a price target of $238.
- MKM Partners downgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $250
- Morgan Stanley has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Palo Alto Networks, which currently sits at a price target of $274.
- Morgan Stanley has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Palo Alto Networks, which currently sits at a price target of $274.
- Jefferies downgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $220
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.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Palo Alto Networks, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.
