Someone with a lot of money to spend has taken a bullish stance on Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO).
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 VLO, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 17 options trades for Valero Energy.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 70% bullish and 29%, bearish.
Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $35,280, and 16, calls, for a total amount of $778,800..
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 $60.0 to $95.0 for Valero Energy 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 Valero Energy'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 Valero Energy's whale activity within a strike price range from $60.0 to $95.0 in the last 30 days.
Valero Energy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLO | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 03/18/22 | $85.00 | $117.2K | 6.5K | 201 |
| VLO | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 03/18/22 | $85.00 | $116.0K | 6.5K | 201 |
| VLO | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 03/18/22 | $90.00 | $67.9K | 11.5K | 391 |
| VLO | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/19/24 | $60.00 | $62.8K | 57 | 40 |
| VLO | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/19/24 | $60.00 | $62.8K | 57 | 20 |
Where Is Valero Energy Standing Right Now?
- With a volume of 2,867,109, the price of VLO is down -1.6% at $88.28.
- RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings are expected to be released in 65 days.
What The Experts Say On Valero Energy:
- Raymond James has decided to maintain their Strong Buy rating on Valero Energy, which currently sits at a price target of $100.
- Raymond James has decided to maintain their Strong Buy rating on Valero Energy, which currently sits at a price target of $104.
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 are already an options trader or would like to get started, head on over to Benzinga Pro. Benzinga Pro gives you up-to-date news and analytics to empower your investing and trading strategy.
