Thursday's Notable Option Formula: GOOG Leads Triple-Stock Rally

gas_fee_therapist · 2025-12-26T02:01:31+00:00

Thursday's derivatives market showed significant call option activity in Alphabet, Visa, and Trade Desk, indicating institutional positioning. Alphabet led with over 12 million shares traded, while Visa and Trade Desk followed with notable but lower volumes, suggesting a strategic focus over retail speculation.

gas_fee_therapist

2025-12-26 02:01:31

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Thursday’s derivatives market revealed a striking pattern across three major S&P 500 constituents, with options activity spiking significantly above typical daily averages. The notable trading formula appears straightforward—aggressive call positioning ahead of late-year expiration cycles—yet the volume tells a more nuanced story about institutional positioning.

Alphabet’s Dominant Call Surge

Alphabet Inc (GOOG) captured the day’s spotlight with 124,579 option contracts changing hands, translating to 12.5 million underlying shares. This substantial activity represents 43.3% of GOOG’s typical daily share volume. The notable concentration emerged in the $332.50 strike calls expiring December 12, 2025, which alone attracted 7,054 contracts (705,400 shares). Such pronounced positioning suggests sophisticated players are testing resistance levels into year-end consolidation.

Visa’s Secondary Wave

Visa Inc (V) registered 28,189 contracts, equivalent to 2.8 million shares or 43.7% of its monthly average trading activity. The $337.50 call expiring December 12 drew particular attention with 928 contracts representing 92,800 shares. While notable in percentage terms, V’s absolute contract volume lagged GOOG, indicating selective rather than broad-based call buying across the payment processor space.

Trade Desk’s Measured Positioning

The Trade Desk Inc (TTD) rounded out the notable options activity with 47,164 contracts affecting 4.7 million shares—40.9% of average daily volume. The $40 strike call for December 19 expiration collected 2,463 contracts (246,300 shares), suggesting a measured formula of tactical rather than aggressive positioning in the ad-tech sector.

The Notable Pattern

What emerges from Thursday’s activity is a coordinated formula across three distinct sectors—payments, search/cloud, and advertising—with call buyers staking claims above current trading ranges. The consistent 40-44% concentration relative to average daily volume across all three names suggests institutional cash deployment rather than retail speculation, marking this as genuinely notable options market behavior worth monitoring through December expiration cycles.

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