Behind the Scenes of Microsoft's Latest Options Trends

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don’t know. But when something this big happens with MSFT, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga‘s options scanner spotted 18 uncommon options trades for Microsoft.

This isn’t normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 27% bullish and 50%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $463,624, and 14 are calls, for a total amount of $1,270,518.

Predicted Price Range

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $300.0 to $560.0 for Microsoft over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Microsoft’s options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Microsoft’s substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $300.0 to $560.0 over the preceding 30 days.

Microsoft Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Noteworthy Options Activity:

Symbol	PUT/CALL	Trade Type	Sentiment	Exp. Date	Ask	Bid	Price	Strike Price	Total Trade Price	Open Interest	Volume
MSFT	CALL	SWEEP	BULLISH	12/19/25	$22.9	$22.7	$22.9	$525.00	$245.0K	4.8K	551
MSFT	CALL	SWEEP	BEARISH	10/10/25	$4.2	$4.15	$4.15	$525.00	$209.7K	6.8K	3.1K
MSFT	PUT	SWEEP	BEARISH	01/16/26	$22.6	$22.4	$22.6	$520.00	$207.9K	1.0K	308
MSFT	CALL	SWEEP	BEARISH	12/19/25	$23.05	$22.95	$22.95	$525.00	$206.5K	4.8K	227
MSFT	CALL	SWEEP	BULLISH	10/10/25	$7.6	$7.55	$7.6	$520.00	$148.3K	4.7K	1.4K

About Microsoft

Microsoft develops and licenses consumer and enterprise software. It is known for its Windows operating systems and Office productivity suite. The company is organized into three equally sized broad segments: productivity and business processes (legacy Microsoft Office, cloud-based Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Skype, LinkedIn, Dynamics), intelligence cloud (infrastructure- and platform-as-a-service offerings Azure, Windows Server OS, SQL Server), and more personal computing (Windows Client, Xbox, Bing search, display advertising, and Surface laptops, tablets, and desktops).

After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Microsoft, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.

Where Is Microsoft Standing Right Now?

• With a trading volume of 2,010,227, the price of MSFT is up by 0.89%, reaching $521.93.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 23 days from now.

What Analysts Are Saying About Microsoft

In the last month, 1 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $625.0.

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.
* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Morgan Stanley continues to hold a Overweight rating for Microsoft, targeting a price of $625.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Microsoft with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.