Surge in Options Trading: A Close Look at MetLife, Paychex, and Humana

Today marked a busy day for options trading within the S&P 500, especially for MetLife, Paychex, and Humana.

MetLife Stands Out with High Trading Volume

MetLife Inc (Symbol: MET) demonstrated significant options trading volume today. A total of 16,647 contracts traded, which translates to about 1.7 million underlying shares. This figure accounts for roughly 48.7% of MET’s average daily trading volume of 3.4 million shares over the past month. Notably, the $87.50 strike call option, set to expire on February 21, 2025, attracted particularly high interest, with 5,009 contracts trading. This represents approximately 500,900 underlying shares of MET. Below is a chart illustrating MET’s trading activity over the past twelve months, with the $87.50 strike marked in orange:

Paychex Shows Strong Options Activity

Paychex Inc (Symbol: PAYX) also experienced robust options trading with a total of 7,475 contracts handled today. This represents approximately 747,500 underlying shares, around 44.8% of PAYX’s average daily trading volume, which averages 1.7 million shares in the past month. The $140 strike put option, expiring December 20, 2024, garnered exceptional attention, with 5,223 contracts traded—equivalent to roughly 522,300 underlying shares of PAYX. Displayed below is a chart of PAYX’s trading history over the last twelve months, highlighting the $140 strike option:

Humana Sees Increased Options Engagement

Humana Inc. (Symbol: HUM) recorded an options trading volume of 8,301 contracts today. This translates to about 830,100 underlying shares, which represents approximately 40.3% of HUM’s average daily trading volume of 2.1 million shares over the past month. The $300 strike call option, set to expire on December 20, 2024, was particularly active, with 2,014 contracts traded—around 201,400 underlying shares of HUM. A chart showcasing HUM’s trading history for the past twelve months, with the $300 strike highlighted, is provided below:

For more information about available expirations for MET, PAYX, or HUM options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.

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The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.