Walmart Unusual Options Activity

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish 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 10 uncommon options trades for Walmart.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 30% bullish and 70%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $986,346, and 5 are calls, for a total amount of $198,920.

Predicted Price Range

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $150.0 and $230.0 for Walmart, spanning the last three months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Walmart stands at 809.0, with a total volume reaching 1,404.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Walmart, situated within the strike price corridor from $150.0 to $230.0, throughout the last 30 days.

Walmart Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days

Biggest Options Spotted:

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 4,700 stores in the United States (5,300 including Sam's Club) and over 10,000 stores globally. Walmart generated over $420 billion in domestic namesake sales last year, with Sam's Club contributing another $84 billion to the firm's top line. Internationally, Walmart generated $100 billion in sales. The company serves around 240 million customers globally each week.

Current Position of Walmart

• With a trading volume of 1,012,951, the price of WMT is up by 0.09%, reaching $151.0.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be oversold.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 71 days from now.

Professional Analyst Ratings for Walmart

5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $176.2.

• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Truist Securities continues to hold a Hold rating for Walmart, targeting a price of $170.
• An analyst from Stephens & Co. persists with their Overweight rating on Walmart, maintaining a target price of $190.
• An analyst from Telsey Advisory Group downgraded its action to Outperform with a price target of $185.
• An analyst from RBC Capital downgraded its action to Outperform with a price target of $168.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Morgan Stanley keeps a Overweight rating on Walmart with a target price of $168.

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.