Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on PANW Options

Author: Benzinga Insights | July 25, 2024 10:18am

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW).

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 PANW, 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 11 uncommon options trades for Palo Alto Networks.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 54% bullish and 27%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $157,830, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $452,570.

Predicted Price Range

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $200.0 to $345.0 for Palo Alto Networks during the past quarter.

Analyzing Volume & Open Interest

Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.

This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Palo Alto Networks's options for a given strike price.

Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Palo Alto Networks's whale activity within a strike price range from $200.0 to $345.0 in the last 30 days.

Palo Alto Networks 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
PANW	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	06/20/25	$134.0	$131.85	$134.0	$200.00	$134.0K	152	0
PANW	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	12/18/26	$81.0	$79.5	$81.0	$340.00	$81.0K	38	0
PANW	PUT	TRADE	BEARISH	08/02/24	$6.3	$5.9	$6.2	$320.00	$62.0K	368	102
PANW	PUT	TRADE	BEARISH	12/18/26	$58.7	$55.15	$58.73	$320.00	$58.7K	213	0
PANW	CALL	SWEEP	BULLISH	01/17/25	$83.6	$81.1	$83.55	$250.00	$58.1K	1.0K	12

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks is a platform-based cybersecurity vendor with product offerings covering network security, cloud security, and security operations. The California-based firm has more than 85,000 customers across the world, including more than three fourths of the Global 2000.

Having examined the options trading patterns of Palo Alto Networks, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance

Current Position of Palo Alto Networks

• Currently trading with a volume of 242,732, the PANW's price is down by -1.19%, now at $320.37.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching oversold.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 22 days.

Expert Opinions on Palo Alto Networks

Over the past month, 3 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $355.0.

• An analyst from Redburn Atlantic has revised its rating downward to Neutral, adjusting the price target to $325.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Baird continues to hold a Outperform rating for Palo Alto Networks, targeting a price of $360.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Keybanc keeps a Overweight rating on Palo Alto Networks with a target price of $380.

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 Palo Alto Networks with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.

Posted In: PANW