Major Options Trading Activity Spotlights Estee Lauder, Morgan Stanley, and McDonald’s

High Volumes Indicate Investor Interest in Key Companies

Today, the options trading scene within the S&P 500 index has revealed significant activity focusing on Estee Lauder Cos., Inc. (Symbol: EL). A total of 38,121 contracts have been traded to date, which corresponds to roughly 3.8 million shares (since each contract represents 100 shares). This trading volume accounts for an impressive 92.3% of EL’s average daily activity over the past month, which stands at 4.1 million shares. Notably, the $94 strike put option set to expire on October 18, 2024, has seen 7,983 contracts exchanged today, translating to about 798,300 underlying shares of EL. A chart illustrating EL’s trading history over the last twelve months highlights the $94 strike in orange:

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley (Symbol: MS) is also experiencing substantial options trading, with 40,433 contracts changing hands. This figure represents roughly 4.0 million underlying shares, constituting 76.1% of MS’s average daily volume in the past month of 5.3 million shares. The $110 strike put option expiring October 18, 2024, has generated considerable interest, with 2,518 contracts traded today, representing approximately 251,800 shares. The following chart depicts the trading history for MS, with the $110 strike highlighted in orange:

In addition, McDonald’s Corp (Symbol: MCD) has seen a trading volume of 16,296 contracts, indicating about 1.6 million underlying shares or approximately 66.9% of MCD’s average daily volume of 2.4 million shares in the past month. Particularly notable is the activity surrounding the $315 strike call option, which has seen 2,078 contracts traded today, representing about 207,800 underlying shares of MCD. Displayed below is a chart of MCD’s trading performance over the last year, with the $315 strike marked in orange:

For more information regarding the various expiration options for EL, MS, or MCD, please visit StockOptionsChannel.com.

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

Also see:

• Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding IST
• Institutional Holders of Sempra
• BLDR Insider Buying

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