A $30M Bet On A Big AAPL Swing

The Option Pit VIX Light Is Yellow: Volatility Is Going To Move.

Hey Traders,

Apple (Ticker: AAPL) reported earnings last week.

Since then, the stock has been a bit of a dud, with little-to-no movement …

AAPL implied volatility (IV) has fallen off as well.

Yet … I can tell you there is a strong move coming!

Here is how I know …

AAPL has been in a pretty tight range since it reported earnings last week.

The stock has failed to touch $150 and $140 over that period of time.

CBOE Equity VIX On Apple (Ticker: VXAPL), the VIX of AAPL, is stuck in a rut at around 26:

WIth that being said, I think there is a really strong move coming.

And I am not alone …

Big Money has been betting on AAPL moving.

There has been a huge buyer of AAPL straddles over the last two days …

On Tuesday, a trader bought 12,500 AAPL Oct. 145-strike straddles:

Likely the same trader followed that up with another 10,000 straddles on Wednesday:

In total, the trader has bought almost $30,000,000 dollars in AAPL option premium …

This is not a small bet on AAPL moving.

With the way this trade is set up, he or she likely thinks a strong $12-plus move is coming.

My bet would be on the downside, but I could be wrong.

Regardless … the small range AAPL has been trading in is likely to end. I would be a buyer of options here.

The Sep. 145-strike puts are about $3.70, and I think they are a buy …

Your Only Option,

Mark Sebastian


Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian is a former member of both the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), where he spent years mastering the art of options trading in the most competitive environment imaginable. As Chief Investment Officer at the hedge fund Karman Line Capital, Mark manages sophisticated options strategies for institutional clients. He is the author of two highly regarded books on options trading: ‘The Option Traders Hedge Fund’ and ‘Trading Options for Edge.’ Mark is a frequent guest on major financial networks including CNBC, Fox Business News, Bloomberg, and First Business News, where he provides expert commentary on market volatility and options strategies.

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About the Author

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Former CBOE floor trader and CIO at Karman Line Capital. Author of ‘The Option Traders Hedge Fund’ with over 30 years of options trading experience.

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