NVIDIA Options Traders Load Up on Near-Term Calls While a Big Put Bet Looms for 2027
By TrendSpider Editor
NVIDIA Corporation is drawing significant attention in the options market on Tuesday, with six unusual contracts totaling $2.54 million in combined premium flagged today. The bulk of the flow is tilted toward calls, with traders targeting strikes between $202.50 and $215 on a stock currently trading
NVIDIA Options Traders Load Up on Near-Term Calls While a Big Put Bet Looms for 2027
NVIDIA Corporation is drawing significant attention in the options market on Tuesday, with six unusual contracts totaling $2.54 million in combined premium flagged today. The bulk of the flow is tilted toward calls, with traders targeting strikes between $202.50 and $215 on a stock currently trading at $196.92, suggesting bets on a near-term breakout. NVDA sits in the lower half of its 52-week range of $164.07 to $236.54, leaving meaningful room to the upside if momentum accelerates.
Key Drivers of the NVDA Stock Move
- Main Catalyst: Six unusual options contracts were flagged today across five calls and one put, generating $2,544,745.60 in total premium. The largest single contract is a PUT at the $145 strike expiring March 19, 2027, carrying $1,230,000 in premium, while a CALL at the $205 strike expiring August 21, 2026 generated $612,000 in premium on 1,200 contracts.
- Bull Case: Five of the six flagged contracts are calls, with strikes at $202.50, $205, and $215. The August 21 $215 call saw 2,000 contracts change hands at just 6% of open interest, indicating fresh directional conviction rather than a hedge, and the combined call premium across all five contracts significantly outweighs the single put position.
- Bear Case: The lone put in the flow is notable for its size and duration: 2,000 contracts at the $145 strike expiring March 19, 2027, at $1,230,000 in premium. At 17% of open interest and deeply out of the money relative to the current $196.92 price, it nonetheless represents the single largest premium outlay in today's unusual flow, suggesting at least one large participant is paying for downside protection well into next year.
NVIDIA's stock has barely budged today, up just 0.21%, but the options flow tells a more active story beneath the surface. The concentration of near-term calls expiring this week and in August points to traders positioning for a catalyst in the weeks ahead. NVIDIA's next earnings report is a natural focal point, as the company continues to be at the center of the global AI infrastructure buildout. With shares still roughly 17% below the 52-week high of $236.54, call buyers at the $202.50 to $215 range are targeting a recovery toward those prior peaks. The outsized March 2027 put could reflect portfolio hedging from an institution with significant long exposure, rather than an outright directional short.
NVDA Unusual Options Activity
- CALL | Strike: $202.50 | Expiry: July 29, 2026 | Volume: 3,100 | OI%: 27% | OTM
- CALL | Strike: $205.00 | Expiry: July 31, 2026 | Volume: 761 | OI%: 2% | OTM
- CALL | Strike: $205.00 | Expiry: August 21, 2026 | Volume: 1,200 | OI%: 6% | OTM
- PUT | Strike: $145.00 | Expiry: March 19, 2027 | Volume: 2,000 | OI%: 17% | OTM
- CALL | Strike: $202.50 | Expiry: July 29, 2026 | Volume: 750 | OI%: 7% | OTM
- CALL | Strike: $215.00 | Expiry: August 21, 2026 | Volume: 2,000 | OI%: 6% | OTM
Total unusual contracts flagged: 6. Total combined premium: $2,544,745.60. The flow skews bullish with five calls against one put. The two near-term $202.50 calls expiring tomorrow collectively saw 3,850 contracts trade, making that strike the most active level in today's unusual activity.
NVDA Seasonality
Late July has historically been an active period for NVIDIA options traders as the market positions ahead of the company's fiscal second-quarter earnings, which typically fall in late August. Near-term call accumulation in this window has often reflected anticipation of an earnings-driven move to the upside.
NVDA Relative Performance
NVDA is up 0.21% on the session today, a notably muted move for a stock that has historically exhibited elevated daily volatility. Trading at $196.92, NVDA remains approximately 16.8% below its 52-week high of $236.54 but is 20% above its 52-week low of $164.07, placing it in a mid-range recovery posture heading into the second half of summer.
More on NVDA
- NVIDIA Slides 5.04% to $196.43, Falling Toward the Lower Half of Its 52-Week Range
- NVIDIA Sees $2.6 Million in Unusual Call Activity as Traders Target the $200 Strike Ahead of July Expiry
- NVIDIA Sees Unusual Bullish Options Activity as $4M Call Bet Targets $220 by December 2027
- NVIDIA Sees $13.5M in Unusual Options Activity Led by a Massive Deep-In-the-Money Call
- NVDA Options Traders Make Bold Moves With a $687K Call Bet and a $370K Downside Hedge
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