Tesla (TSLA) Unusual Options Activity — Largest Blocks, Sentiment & Key Strikes [September 25, 2024]
As-of: September 25, 2024, 10:57 a.m. ET • Scope: U.S. options market activity observed this session and recent 30-day trends
Key takeaways
- 273 distinct TSLA options trades met our unusual-activity criteria today.
- By notional value, flows skewed bullish: approximately $10.5M in calls vs $6.2M in puts across the largest prints.
- Trade sentiment mix across big prints: 47% bullish, 42% bearish, remainder neutral/complex.
- Open interest and volume have clustered across widely-used strikes in roughly the $10–$400 range (strike distribution, not a price forecast).
- Mean open interest observed in today’s scan was ~10,840 contracts, with elevated turnover indicating strong engagement around TSLA options.
What changed today?
Options tape readings showed a meaningful pickup in larger-than-typical prints in Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) aggregate skew toward calls, combined with concentrated activity at popular near-term expirations, suggests active positioning ahead of catalysts in the current news/earnings cycle.
Flow breakdown: bullish vs. bearish
Among the largest transactions captured by our screeners today, approximately 191 call prints (about $10.5M notional) were recorded versus 82 put prints (about $6.2M notional). Across the biggest blocks, sentiment tagged by execution context and trade directioning came in at roughly 47% bullish, 42% bearish, and 11% neutral/other. These figures reflect the day’s high-notional trades rather than the entire market’s micro-lots.
Where positioning concentrated
Reviewing recent volume and open-interest changes, positioning has been active across a wide strike ladder ($10–$400) over the prior few months. This range reflects where option contracts are listed and attracting activity, not a forward price target. Concentration around popular round-number strikes is typical in names with high retail and institutional interest like TSLA.
Largest identified prints (recent)
The table below summarizes several of the most notable trades flagged in our screen. Values are approximate and rounded.
| Symbol | Type | Sentiment | Approx. Notional | Expiration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | CALL | Bulllish | $285.5K | 10/18/2024 |
| TSLA | PUT | Bearish | $195.9K | 10/11/2024 |
| TSLA | CALL | Bulllish | $165.6K | 10/18/2024 |
| TSLA | CALL | Neutral | $151.8K | 10/18/2024 |
| TSLA | CALL | Bulllish | $125.7K | 09/27/2024 |
Thirty-day trend context
Over the last 30 days, call/put activity in TSLA has swung with news flow and macro tape, producing alternating periods of call-led and put-led notional. Today’s skew toward calls fits the upper range of that recent distribution but remains within what we’ve observed historically for the name.
How to use this information
- Options flow is directional context, not a guarantee. Big prints can be opening or closing, outright or part of spreads/hedges.
- Watch open interest into expiry. Rising OI at specific strikes can signal where exposure is building; falling OI after large trades often indicates profit-taking or closing activity.
- Anchor on dates. Treat the figures above as observations as of September 25, 2024. If you revisit this page later, use more recent data before drawing conclusions.
Methodology & data notes
- Universe & filters: We scan consolidated options tape for TSLA and flag unusually large trades using minimum notional thresholds and relative-volume filters. The 273-trade count refers to prints meeting those criteria during today’s session.
- Sentiment tagging: Trades are labeled bullish/bearish/neutral using execution context (e.g., sweeps, bid/ask placement) and additional heuristics. Sentiment is an estimate, not a statement of intent.
- Open interest & volume: Mean OI of ~10,840 contracts and notional tallies are rounded and based on the latest snapshots available at 10:57 a.m. ET.
- Price references: Any quoted stock prices should be understood as time-stamped snapshots near the “As-of” time, not live quotes.
