Pfizer's Options Frenzy: What You Need to Know

Author: Benzinga Insights | July 31, 2024 12:16pm

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Pfizer (NYSE:PFE).

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the positions 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 PFE, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 18 options trades for Pfizer.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 38% bullish and 55%, bearish.

Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $32,480, and 17, calls, for a total amount of $785,136.

Predicted Price Range

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $17.5 to $35.0 for Pfizer over the last 3 months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Pfizer'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 Pfizer's whale trades within a strike price range from $17.5 to $35.0 in the last 30 days.

Pfizer Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Biggest Options Spotted:

Symbol	PUT/CALL	Trade Type	Sentiment	Exp. Date	Ask	Bid	Price	Strike Price	Total Trade Price	Open Interest	Volume
PFE	CALL	TRADE	BEARISH	08/02/24	$0.47	$0.45	$0.45	$30.50	$135.0K	10.4K	1.4K
PFE	CALL	TRADE	NEUTRAL	01/16/26	$2.5	$2.32	$2.4	$35.00	$120.0K	28.3K	632
PFE	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	08/02/24	$1.0	$0.97	$1.0	$30.00	$50.0K	10.5K	2.1K
PFE	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	08/16/24	$4.95	$4.85	$4.95	$26.00	$49.5K	733	100
PFE	CALL	SWEEP	BULLISH	12/20/24	$2.06	$2.03	$2.06	$31.00	$39.9K	4.2K	330

About Pfizer

Pfizer is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms, with annual sales close to $50 billion (excluding COVID-19 product sales). While it historically sold many types of healthcare products and chemicals, now prescription drugs and vaccines account for the majority of sales. Top sellers include pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13, cancer drug Ibrance, and cardiovascular treatment Eliquis. Pfizer sells these products globally, with international sales representing close to 50% of total sales. Within international sales, emerging markets are a major contributor.

Current Position of Pfizer

• With a volume of 15,092,694, the price of PFE is down -1.31% at $30.98.
• RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be overbought.
• Next earnings are expected to be released in 90 days.

Professional Analyst Ratings for Pfizer

Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $36.2.

• An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald has revised its rating downward to Overweight, adjusting the price target to $45.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from UBS keeps a Neutral rating on Pfizer with a target price of $31.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Wells Fargo keeps a Equal-Weight rating on Pfizer with a target price of $30.
• An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on Pfizer, which currently sits at a price target of $30.
• Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald lowers its rating to Overweight with a new price target of $45.

Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Pfizer options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.

Posted In: PFE