Maplebear Inc Options Offer Attractive Opportunities for Investors

Today marks the launch of new options trading for Maplebear Inc (Symbol: CART), scheduled to expire in March 2026. With 340 days until expiration, these fresh contracts present a potential avenue for options sellers to secure higher premiums compared to those with nearer expiration dates. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has analyzed the CART options chain and identified two noteworthy contracts: one put and one call.

Examining the Put Contract

The put contract available at the $40.00 strike price has an active bid of $3.90. If an investor sells-to-open this put contract, they agree to purchase shares of the stock at $40.00 while also receiving the premium. This effectively lowers the cost basis of the shares to $36.10, assuming no additional broker commissions. For an investor already inclined to buy CART shares, this option offers an attractive alternative to the current market price of $41.83 per share.

Notably, the $40.00 strike represents around a 4% discount from the current trading price, placing it in an out-of-the-money position. Current analysis indicates there is a 66% likelihood that the put may expire worthless. Stock Options Channel will monitor these odds regularly, providing updates via a detailed chart on our website. If the contract does expire worthless, the earned premium would yield a 9.75% return on the cash commitment, or an annualized rate of 10.47%—a return that we refer to as YieldBoost.

Reviewing the Trailing Twelve Months of CART Trading

Below is a chart depicting the trailing twelve-month trading history for Maplebear Inc. Note that the $40.00 strike is highlighted in green for reference:

Analysis of the Call Contract

Turning to the call side, the call contract available at a $47.00 strike price presents a current bid of $4.20. If an investor purchases CART shares at the current price of $41.83 and sells-to-open this call as a “covered call,” they commit to selling the stock at $47.00. This approach could generate a total return of 22.40% (excluding dividends, if any) if the stock gets called away at the March 2026 expiration, not accounting for brokerage fees. However, significant upside potential may remain if CART shares appreciate beyond the strike price, emphasizing the importance of analyzing both trading history and fundamental business metrics.

Here’s a chart showing CART’s trailing twelve-month trading history, with the $47.00 strike highlighted in red:

The $47.00 strike represents a 12% premium over the current trading price, placing it in an out-of-the-money category. There is a 48% chance the covered call contract may expire worthless, enabling the investor to retain both the shares and the collected premium. Over time, Stock Options Channel will provide continual updates on these odds, including a chart tracking the option contract’s trading history. Should the covered call expire worthless, the premium would represent an additional 10.04% return or 10.78% annualized—another example of our YieldBoost.

Volatility Insights

The put contract’s implied volatility stands at 49%, while the call contract shows an implied volatility of 46%. In contrast, the actual trailing twelve-month volatility, calculated using the last 250 trading day closing prices along with today’s price of $41.83, is 44%. For more innovative put and call options ideas, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.

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also see:

• AMLI Videos
• Institutional Holders of CENX
• Funds Holding FDEU

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