High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bearish on Altria Group MO, and it’s important for retail traders to take note.
This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga’s tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in MO often signals that someone has privileged information.
Today, Benzinga’s options scanner spotted 9 options trades for Altria Group. This is not a typical pattern.
The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 11% bullish and 44% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $45,208, and 8 calls, totaling $292,057.
Projected Price Targets
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it’s evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $35.0 and $52.5 for Altria Group, spanning the last three months.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Altria Group’s options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Altria Group’s substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $35.0 to $52.5 over the preceding 30 days.
Altria Group Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
Largest Options Trades Observed:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MO | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/15/27 | $10.9 | $10.8 | $10.8 | $40.00 | $75.6K | 62 | 70 |
| MO | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 01/17/25 | $3.45 | $3.4 | $3.45 | $52.50 | $45.2K | 2.5K | 193 |
| MO | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 01/17/25 | $13.1 | $12.95 | $13.03 | $37.50 | $39.0K | 314 | 30 |
| MO | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 06/20/25 | $13.1 | $12.95 | $13.03 | $37.50 | $35.1K | 226 | 27 |
| MO | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $15.6 | $15.4 | $15.48 | $35.00 | $34.0K | 207 | 22 |
About Altria Group
Altria comprises Philip Morris USA, us Smokeless Tobacco, John Middleton, Horizon Innovations, and Helix Innovations. Through its tobacco subsidiaries, Altria maintains the leading position in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in the United States and the number-two spot in machine-made cigars. The company’s Marlboro brand is the leading cigarette brand in the us with 42% annual share in 2023. Beyond its core business, it holds an 8% interest in the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, a 42% stake in cannabis manufacturer Cronos, acquired Njoy Holdings in 2023, and operates a joint venture with Japan Tobacco in the heated tobacco category. It also recently disposed of its investment in Juul Labs.
Altria Group’s Current Market Status
- Currently trading with a volume of 1,971,659, the MO’s price is up by 0.43%, now at $50.12.
- RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
- Anticipated earnings release is in 15 days.
Expert Opinions on Altria Group
In the last month, 2 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $50.5.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge’s Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.
* An analyst from Citigroup persists with their Neutral rating on Altria Group, maintaining a target price of $48.
* An analyst from B of A Securities persists with their Neutral rating on Altria Group, maintaining a target price of $53.
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Altria Group, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.
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