Texas Instruments Sees $1.4M in Unusual Call Activity as Stock Slides 1.23% Thursday

By TrendSpider Editor

Two unusual call contracts totaling $1,400,898 in premium hit the tape for Texas Instruments (TXN) on Thursday, September 10, 2026, pointing to bullish positioning even as shares fell 1.23% to $258.36. The larger of the two contracts is already in the money, suggesting active traders are leaning con

Texas Instruments Sees $1.4M in Unusual Call Activity as Stock Slides 1.23% Thursday

Two unusual call contracts totaling $1,400,898 in premium hit the tape for Texas Instruments (TXN) on Thursday, September 10, 2026, pointing to bullish positioning even as shares fell 1.23% to $258.36. The larger of the two contracts is already in the money, suggesting active traders are leaning constructive on TXN heading into the near term. With a 52-week range spanning $152.76 to $334.03, the stock currently sits in the middle of its annual band, leaving room for movement in either direction.

Key Drivers of the TXN Stock Move

• Main Catalyst: Two unusual call contracts were flagged today with a combined premium of $1,400,898. The first is a CALL at the $260 strike expiring September 18, 2026 with a size of 2,088 contracts and an open interest fill rate of 74%, currently in the money. The second is a CALL at the $290 strike expiring October 16, 2026 with a size of 500 contracts and an open interest fill rate of 42%, currently out of the money.
• Bull Case: The $260 strike call, which carries $1,240,898 of the total premium, is in the money at the current price of $258.36 and expires in just eight days, indicating a trader making a high-conviction near-term directional bet. The $290 strike call adds another $160,000 in premium and extends the bullish thesis out to October 16, 2026, suggesting layered upside positioning.
• Bear Case: Despite the bullish options flow, TXN shares are down 1.23% on the session today, and the stock remains well below its 52-week high of $334.03. The $290 strike call is out of the money and would require a roughly 12% rally from current levels before expiration on October 16, 2026, a tall order without a meaningful catalyst.

The forward setup for TXN carries some nuance. The near-dated $260 call expiring September 18, 2026 gives the buyer only eight days for the trade to work, making it a high-stakes short-term play. Meanwhile, the out-of-the-money $290 call expiring October 16, 2026 aligns with a window that could capture any company-specific news or broader semiconductor sector developments. Texas Instruments operates in an industry sensitive to inventory cycles and end-market demand trends across automotive and industrial segments, and any macro or sector headlines in the coming weeks could serve as the catalyst these options traders appear to be anticipating.

TXN Unusual Options Activity

• Contract 1: Call | Strike: $260 | Expiry: September 18, 2026 | Volume: 2,088 | Open Interest Fill: 74% | In the Money | Premium: $1,240,898.40
• Contract 2: Call | Strike: $290 | Expiry: October 16, 2026 | Volume: 500 | Open Interest Fill: 42% | Out of the Money | Premium: $160,000

Both contracts are calls, with zero puts flagged on the session, resulting in a purely bullish directional skew in today's unusual options flow. The total unusual premium across both contracts stands at $1,400,898.

TXN Seasonality

September has historically been a mixed month for semiconductor stocks, with sector volatility often elevated heading into the fourth quarter as companies begin providing early guidance on holiday and year-end demand. The September 18, 2026 expiry on the larger call contract places this trade squarely within that period of potential seasonal uncertainty, making the bullish positioning notably assertive.

TXN Relative Performance

TXN is down 1.23% on Thursday, September 10, 2026, trading at $258.36, which places it in the lower half of its 52-week range of $152.76 to $334.03. The session decline suggests TXN is underperforming on the day relative to any flat or positive readings in the broader market, though the unusual call activity indicates that at least some institutional participants view the current price level as an opportunity rather than a warning sign.