Surge in Options Trading: Qualcomm, J.B. Hunt, and Walgreens Lead the Charge

Today, the S&P 500 index experienced striking options trading activity, especially in Qualcomm Inc (Symbol: QCOM), which saw 64,259 contracts exchanged. This figure equals approximately 6.4 million underlying shares. Notably, this volume represents about 82.5% of QCOM’s monthly average daily trading volume, which stands at 7.8 million shares. A significant interest was noted in the $172.50 strike call option set to expire on October 18, 2024, where 6,513 contracts have traded thus far, corresponding to around 651,300 underlying shares of QCOM. A chart showcasing QCOM’s trading history over the last twelve months is provided below, with the $172.50 strike highlighted in orange:

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (Symbol: JBHT) also experienced significant options trading, with a total of 5,205 contracts traded today. This translates to approximately 520,500 underlying shares, or 74.5% of JBHT’s average daily trading volume of 699,000 shares for the past month. High trading volume was particularly noted for the $160 strike put option expiring on October 18, 2024, where 1,533 contracts exchanged hands, representing about 153,300 underlying shares. Below, you can see a chart illustrating JBHT’s trading history over the past year, with the $160 strike highlighted in orange:

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (Symbol: WBA) displayed remarkable options activity as well, with a notable 100,519 contracts traded today. This amounts to around 10.1 million underlying shares, making up 51.4% of WBA’s average daily trading volume of 19.6 million shares over the last month. The standout was the $9.50 strike call option expiring on October 18, 2024, with 14,906 contracts trading today, equating to roughly 1.5 million underlying shares of WBA. A chart reflecting WBA’s trading history for the past twelve months is shown below, with the $9.50 strike highlighted in orange:

For those interested in exploring the various available expirations for QCOM, JBHT, or WBA options, please visit StockOptionsChannel.com.

Today’s Most Active Call & Put Options of the S&P 500 »

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