AbbVie Unusual Options Activity: Bulls and Bears Battle at Key Strikes as ABBV Surges 2.14%
By TrendSpider Editor
AbbVie Inc. saw a burst of unusual options activity Tuesday, highlighted by aggressive call buying at the $217.5 strike and a sizeable long-dated put position totaling $1,296,000 in premium on a single contract. ABBV shares are trading at $213.95, up 2.14% on the session, situating the stock roughly
AbbVie Unusual Options Activity: Bulls and Bears Battle at Key Strikes as ABBV Surges 2.14%
AbbVie Inc. saw a burst of unusual options activity Tuesday, highlighted by aggressive call buying at the $217.5 strike and a sizeable long-dated put position totaling $1,296,000 in premium on a single contract. ABBV shares are trading at $213.95, up 2.14% on the session, situating the stock roughly in the middle of its 52-week range of $180.25 to $244.81. With four unusual contracts flagged and $1,598,644 in total premium crossing the tape, options traders are clearly positioning for a significant move in both directions.
Key Drivers of the ABBV Stock Move
- Main Catalyst: Four unusual options contracts were detected on ABBV today, spanning both calls and puts across multiple expirations, with total premium of $1,598,644. The most notable single contract is a PUT at the $210 strike expiring June 17, 2027, with 600 contracts trading against open interest at just 108% above prior levels, carrying $1,296,000 in premium. On the call side, a $217.5 strike expiring June 18, 2026 saw 293 contracts trade at an open interest percentage of 3,663%, a massive spike signaling unusual conviction.
- Bull Case: The two call contracts at the $217.5 strike expiring June 18, 2026 collectively represent 374 contracts and $202,644.30 in combined premium, both flagged as out of the money relative to the current price of $213.95. The 3,663% open interest reading on the larger call block suggests a fresh, aggressive bet that ABBV can push above $217.50 within roughly four weeks, consistent with today's 2.14% price surge.
- Bear Case: The single largest premium event of the day is a bearish one: 600 PUT contracts at the $210 strike expiring June 17, 2027, representing $1,296,000 in premium. This is currently out of the money but positions a large trader for a meaningful pullback over the next 13 months. An additional PUT at the $215 strike expiring June 5, 2026 with 200 contracts and $100,000 in premium is currently in the money, adding near-term downside pressure to the options picture.
The competing signals in today's unusual flow reflect a broader tension in AbbVie's story heading into the summer. The near-term call activity suggests traders expect momentum to continue above $217.50 before mid-June 2026, but the deep, long-dated put position at $210 indicates at least one significant market participant is hedging against or outright betting on a reversal over the next year. AbbVie has been navigating the post-Humira revenue transition, leaning on Skyrizi and Rinvoq for growth, and the stock's current position near the midpoint of its 52-week range between $180.25 and $244.81 reflects ongoing uncertainty about whether that transition can sustain the company's premium valuation.
ABBV Unusual Options Activity
- Contract 1: CALL, $217.50 strike, expires June 18, 2026 | Volume: 293 | Open Interest: 3,663% above prior levels | Out of the Money | Premium: $159,714.30
- Contract 2: CALL, $217.50 strike, expires June 18, 2026 | Volume: 81 | Open Interest: 1,013% above prior levels | Out of the Money | Premium: $42,930.00
- Contract 3: PUT, $215.00 strike, expires June 5, 2026 | Volume: 200 | Open Interest: 667% above prior levels | In the Money | Premium: $100,000.00
- Contract 4: PUT, $210.00 strike, expires June 17, 2027 | Volume: 600 | Open Interest: 108% above prior levels | Out of the Money | Premium: $1,296,000.00
ABBV Seasonality
Mid-May through mid-June has historically been an active period for pharmaceutical names as investors position around mid-year medical conference catalysts and pipeline readouts. The concentration of near-term June expiration contracts in today's unusual flow aligns with traders seeking to capture any event-driven volatility before the summer lull.
ABBV Relative Performance
ABBV's 2.14% gain on Tuesday places it as a notable outperformer relative to the broader healthcare sector on the session. Trading at $213.95, the stock sits well above its 52-week low of $180.25 but remains approximately $30.86, or about 12.6%, below its 52-week high of $244.81, suggesting meaningful room to recover for bulls while also providing context for the long-dated put buyer targeting a return toward $210 over the next year.