CRM Stock: Unusual Put Activity Emerges as Salesforce Trades Near 52-Week Lows

April 27, 2026

By TrendSpider Editor

CRM Stock: Unusual Put Activity Emerges as Salesforce Trades Near 52-Week Lows

A single large put contract on Salesforce, Inc. has drawn attention Monday, with a $6,464,080 premium bet positioned well below current trading levels. CRM shares are up 2.18% today to $182.01, but the stock remains deep in the lower half of its 52-week range of $163.52 to $296.05, leaving bears with plenty of room to argue the downtrend is not finished. The unusual options print adds a layer of complexity to an already pressured chart as traders weigh whether today's bounce has legs.

Key Drivers of the CRM Stock Move

Main Catalyst: One unusual put contract hit the tape on Salesforce today, a $175 strike put expiring September 18, 2026, with a volume of 3,880 contracts against an open interest read of 394% above normal levels. The total premium exchanged was $6,464,080, making this a high-conviction directional trade given its size and out-of-the-money positioning.
Bull Case: CRM is up 2.18% on the session to $182.01, suggesting near-term buying pressure. The $175 strike sits below current prices, meaning the stock would need to fall further for this put to land in the money, which some traders will read as a sign that the immediate floor is holding.
Bear Case: The $175 strike is only about $7 away from current prices, and the 52-week low of $163.52 is not far beneath that. A trader willing to spend over $6.4 million in premium on a September out-of-the-money put is making a deliberate statement that downside risk through the summer remains meaningful.

The forward setup for CRM is cautious. The stock has shed significant ground from its 52-week high of $296.05, and today's modest 2.18% gain does little to change the broader technical picture of a name trading near multi-year support. The unusual put activity, particularly the 394% open interest reading, suggests this is not a routine hedge but a targeted bearish position with a multi-month time horizon stretching into September 2026. Traders will be watching whether today's bounce can build follow-through volume or whether it fades back toward the $163.52 low. The September expiration also means this contract will capture any summer earnings cycle or macro catalysts that could pressure enterprise software spending, a theme worth monitoring as Salesforce continues navigating a choppy demand environment.

CRM Unusual Options Activity

One unusual contract was flagged in Monday's session:

Type: Put | Strike: $175 | Expiry: September 18, 2026 | Volume: 3,880 contracts | Open Interest: 394% above normal levels

The single put contract accounts for the entirety of today's unusual options activity on CRM. The 394% open interest reading is the defining detail here, indicating that volume in this contract dramatically exceeded its existing open interest, a hallmark of a fresh, intentional position rather than a routine closing trade. With a $6,464,080 total premium attached, this is a well-funded bet on Salesforce weakness through mid-September 2026. The out-of-the-money status of the $175 strike relative to the current $182.01 price means the trade profits only on a continued leg lower from current levels.

CRM Seasonality

Historically, the late April through summer window can be a mixed period for enterprise software names, as budget flush activity from Q1 transitions into a slower mid-year procurement pace. A September expiration put positions the buyer to benefit from any weakness that develops through this seasonally softer stretch.

CRM Relative Performance

CRM is trading at $182.01 today, up 2.18% on the session, but the stock remains approximately 38.5% below its 52-week high of $296.05 and just $18.49 above its 52-week low of $163.52. That proximity to the 52-week floor underscores how much ground Salesforce has lost over the past year and why bearish options positioning of this magnitude continues to attract attention in the name.