Big Tech Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) once again landed on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks with the highest weekly options volume in the last two weeks. Per White's data, 1,945,366 calls and 1,509,180 puts were exchanged over the last two weeks, with the weekly 5/12 310-strike call the most popular.
Microsoft stock was last seen trading at $309.24, sporting a marginal midday lead even after European Union (EU) regulators approved the company's proposed $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard. The deal was previously stalled after the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the acquisition due to competition concerns.
Bearish bets have been the popular pick amongst options traders. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX),MSFT sports a 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.60 that ranks in the 90th percentile of its annual range.
After starting the year below $220, MSFT worked its way up the charts to an annual high of $313 by May 10, helped along by a post-earnings bear gap on April 25. Year-to-date, Microsoft stock is up more than 29%, with recent consolidation around $305 worth watching.
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