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Unusual Activity Report

This daily report focuses on three key components that can lead to market momentum: unusual options activity, insider buying, and institutional sponsorship. By scanning for these signals each day, we uncover potential stock movements driven by notable trades, insider transactions, and institutional investments. Using advanced algorithms and proprietary research methods, we sift through vast amounts of data to identify unique opportunities, offering timely insights highlighting emerging market momentum.

Disclaimer: All data and information presented in this report are sourced from publicly available materials intended for informational purposes only. The content is not a recommendation to buy or sell securities and should not be relied upon as financial advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before making any investment decisions.

Standout Options Trades

This section highlights notable options trades reflecting significant sentiment—bullish, bearish, or mixed—characterized by high-dollar-value transactions or large trade sizes exceeding prior open interest. When open interest rises from the previous day, it often indicates the creation of new positions rather than the closing of existing ones, suggesting a fresh outlook on the underlying stock or ETF.

For instance, call buying generally signals an expectation of upward movement, while selling calls suggest the trader anticipates the price will stay below a certain level. Put selling reflects confidence that the price will hold above the strike, implying stability. In contrast, put buying may reveal a bearish outlook or serve as a hedge against a larger bullish position elsewhere.

Note: This report highlights large, unusual options trades identified for their size and potential impact, representing individual sentiment rather than broad market consensus. These trades are informational and are not intended as buy or sell signals. They reflect noteworthy activity observed during the trading day and should be viewed as one part of a broader analysis.

Options Flow Analysis: Trading Day 2024-12-13

The following analysis focuses on the Stock Options Flow Leaderboard for the trading day 2024-12-13. Each section highlights significant institutional activity, providing sentiment, key observations, and market expectations based on the data. All numbers represent large block trades likely executed by institutional players, not total-market figures.

Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $79,244,032 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $50,060,750 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $14,432,205 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $16,028,110 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $30,779,187.
  Strike Price: Focus on higher strikes compared to the spot price.
  Expectations: Heavy call buying and minimal put buying suggest upward sentiment, with additional premium collected from put sales reflecting confidence in price stability above critical levels.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $27,826,931 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $10,423,381 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $11,242,812 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $12,567,852 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $18,728,590.
  Strike Price: Bullish sentiment concentrated near-the-money strikes.
  Expectations: Institutions are accumulating calls, reflecting confidence in price appreciation, while selling puts reinforces bullish sentiment for AMD’s resilience.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSM)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $34,399,695 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $16,361,952 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $4,023,553 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $2,316,809 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $16,330,999.
  Strike Price: Near-the-money call interest dominates.
  Expectations: Strong call activity paired with negligible put action suggests optimism for TSM, potentially due to favorable market conditions or sector news.

Dow Inc. (DOW)
Sentiment: Bearish
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $33,833 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $39,750 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $1,115,277 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $16,705,938 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $15,584,744.
  Strike Price: Put selling dominates below the spot price.
  Expectations: The significant premium collected from put sales suggests institutions are betting on price stability rather than a significant decline.

Marvell Technology, Inc. (MRVL)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $15,520,069 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $6,456,522 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $1,415,937 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $274,543 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $7,922,153.
  Strike Price: Bias towards out-of-the-money calls.
  Expectations: Heavy call buying indicates bullish sentiment for future growth prospects in MRVL.

Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR)
Sentiment: Mixed
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $12,206,455 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $10,441,469 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $2,306,625 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $8,339,961 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $7,798,322.
  Strike Price: Slight bullish tilt near the spot price.
  Expectations: Call buying and put selling suggest upward expectations tempered by hedging.

Vornado Realty Trust (VNO)
Sentiment: Mixed
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $33,616,800 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $26,189,400 in premium.
• Puts Bought: Minimal activity.
• Puts Sold: $27,577 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $7,454,977.
  Strike Price: Spot price analysis critical to interpreting sentiment.
  Expectations: High call activity coupled with limited put action indicates mild bullish sentiment, likely driven by recent market events.

Nu Holdings Ltd. (NU)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $1,608 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $37,912 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $135,924 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $3,001,580 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $2,829,352.
  Strike Price: Focused on put strikes below the spot price, reflecting confidence in stability.
  Expectations: The significant premium collected from put selling indicates a bullish tone, as institutions anticipate the stock will hold above key levels. Minimal call activity suggests a lack of aggressive upside speculation.

Arista Networks Inc (ANET)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity:

• Calls Bought: $4,060,951 in premium.
• Calls Sold: $518,796 in premium.
• Puts Bought: $60,242 in premium.
• Puts Sold: $1,282,880 in premium.
  Total Values: Net Premium: $4,764,793.
  Strike Price: Call buying is concentrated near-the-money, with limited put buying reflecting confidence above critical levels.
  Expectations: The strong call buying and significant put selling indicate institutional bullishness, suggesting confidence in upward price momentum or stability for ANET.

Concluding Observations:

The options flow for the trading day 2024-12-13 highlights a predominantly bullish sentiment among institutional traders, with Broadcom Inc. (AVGO), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSM) leading in net premium.. Heavy call buying and put selling in these stocks suggest optimism.

Stocks like Dow Inc. (DOW) and Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) exhibit mixed sentiment, with significant hedging activity indicating caution in their outlooks. Nu Holdings Ltd. (NU) and Arista Networks Inc. (ANET) show mild bullishness, driven primarily by put selling.

DoorDash (DASH)
Sentiment: Bearish
Options Activity: High-volume purchase of puts with a $28 strike, expiring January 10, 2025, at $0.30 each.
Total Values: $509,660
Strike Price: $28
Expectations: Anticipation of a decline below $28. Spot price: $175.07.

Penn Entertainment (PENN)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity: Purchase of calls at a $14 strike price, expiring on December 27, 2024, at $0.45 each.
Total Values: $100,883
Strike Price: $14
Expectations: Confidence in near-term upside above the $14 strike. Spot price: $20.59.

Personalis (PSNL)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity: Purchase of calls with a $7.50 strike price, expiring on April 17, 2025, at prices ranging from $1.44 to $1.45 per contract.
Total Values: $35,958
Strike Price: $7.50
Expectations: The spot price of $3.485 reflects a bullish sentiment, anticipating the price will rise above the $7.50 strike by expiration, with increased open interest signaling fresh buying activity.

Applied Solutions (AS)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity: Sale of puts at a $98 strike price, expiring on March 21, 2025, for $0.51 each.
Total Values: $525,000
Strike Price: $98
Expectations: Confidence the price will remain above $98. Spot price: $27.70.

Western Digital Corporation (WDC)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity: Large put sales at a strike of 72.5, expiring January 16, 2026.
Total Values: $1,649,700
Strike Price: 72.5
Expectations: Bullish sentiment with confidence in stability above the $65.35 spot price.

iQIYI Inc. (IQ)
Sentiment: Bearish
Options Activity: Call sales at a strike of 2.5 expiring March 21, 2025, with a notable increase in open interest.
Total Values: $750,000
Strike Price: 2.5
Expectations: Bearish sentiment with expectations for stabilization below the spot price of $2.265.

Bitcoin Services Inc. (BITX)
Sentiment: Mixed
Options Activity: High-volume calls bought and sold at various strikes (30, 40, 45) expiring December 20, 2024. Notable ExDiv trades with significant premium collected and paid.
Total Values: $38,532,600
Strike Price: 30-50
Expectations: Mixed sentiment, with aggressive upside bets contrasting with premium collected through call sales, suggesting complex positioning at a spot price of $64.855.

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)
Sentiment: Bearish
Options Activity: Calls sold with a focus on January 17, 2025, and September 19, 2025, at strikes of 130 and 76, alongside smaller put sales at strike 137 for December 20, 2024.
Total Values: $18,936,360
Strike Price: 76-137
Expectations: Predominantly bearish sentiment, with call selling reflecting expectations for price stabilization below spot prices of $133.905 and $133.866.

Direxion Daily S&P Oil & Gas Exp. & Prod. Bull 2X Shares (GUSH)
Sentiment: Bearish
Options Activity: Call sales at a strike of 28 expiring January 17, 2025.
Total Values: $624,032
Strike Price: 28
Expectations: Bearish sentiment with limited expectations for movement above the spot price of $29.355.

Silver Trust ETF (SLV)
Sentiment: Bullish
Options Activity: Notable CALL purchases at strikes of $27 expiring January 17, 2025, and multi-sweep CALL buys expiring April 17, 2025, at a strike of $30.
Total Values: $2,507,338
Strike Price: $27–$30
Expectations: Bullish sentiment, reflecting expectations for upward movement from current spot prices of $27.755 and $27.735, respectively.

Insider Transactions

Each day, insider transactions provide insights into the movements of key executives and shareholders within various companies. These transactions can signal confidence in future performance or a need to liquidate holdings. Today’s report identified the most significant insider purchases and sales, highlighting influential figures and companies that made notable moves.  Let’s take a look at some of today’s standout transactions.

US Insider Purchases

TKO Group Holdings Inc (TKO)
Buyer: Whitesell Patrick (Large Shareholder)
Shares Purchased: 155,387 (+∞%)
Price: USD 142.46
Total Value: USD 22,136,432

TKO Group Holdings Inc (TKO)
Buyer: Ariel Emanuel (Chief Executive Officer, Large Shareholder)
Shares Purchased: 155,387 (+∞%)
Price: USD 142.46
Total Value: USD 22,136,432

TKO Group Holdings Inc (TKO)
Buyer: Silver Lake West HoldCo, L.P. (Large Shareholder)
Shares Purchased: 155,387 (+∞%)
Price: USD 142.46
Total Value: USD 22,136,432

Kodiak Gas Services Inc (KGS)
Buyer: Frontier TopCo Partnership, L.P. (Large Shareholder)
Shares Purchased: 5,500,000 (+12.5%)
Price: USD 42.09
Total Value: USD 231,473,000

Gladstone Alternative Income Fund (GAIAX)
Buyer: Gladstone David (Chief Executive Officer, Large Shareholder)
Shares Purchased: 250,000 (+104.2%)
Price: USD 10.00
Total Value: USD 2,500,000

US Insider Sales

Chewy Inc (CHWY)
Seller: Argos Holdings GP LLC (Large Shareholder)
Shares Sold: 18,230,818 (-91.9%)
Price: USD 31.32
Total Value: USD 570,989,220

Ormat Technologies Inc (ORA)
Seller: ORIX CORP (Former 10% Owner)
Shares Sold: 3,700,000 (-55.4%)
Price: USD 75.38
Total Value: USD 278,906,000

Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR)
Seller: Stephen Andrew Cohen (Executive Director)
Shares Sold: 212,296 (-60.8%)
Price: USD 74.01
Total Value: USD 15,712,706

Visa Inc (V)
Seller: Rajat Taneja (President, Technology)
Shares Sold: 28,237 (-10.8%)
Price: USD 315.83
Total Value: USD 8,918,092

BigBear.ai Holdings Inc (BBAI)
Seller: BBAI Ultimate Holdings, LLC (Large Shareholder)
Shares Sold: 3,763,502 (-4.3%)
Price: USD 2.69
Total Value: USD 10,123,820

CDN Insider Purchases

Abcourt Mines Inc (ABI)
Buyer: Mestrallet, Francois Joseph Pierre Marie (10% Security Holder of Issuer, Director of Issuer)
Shares Purchased: 9,100,000 (+8.2%)
Price: CAD 0.06
Total Value: CAD 500,500

Relevant Gold Corp (RGC)
Buyer: Bollinger, William Guest (10% Security Holder of Issuer)
Shares Purchased: 6,105,500 (+96.3%)
Price: CAD 0.23
Total Value: CAD 1,404,265

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM)
Buyer: Culham, Harry Kenneth (Director or Senior Officer of Insider or Subsidiary of Issuer)
Shares Purchased: 46,642 (-93.3%)
Price: CAD 95.30
Total Value: CAD 4,444,983

Osisko Metals Incorporated
Buyer: Zaritsky, Blair David (Senior Officer of Issuer)
Shares Purchased: 961,538
Price: CAD 0.26
Total Value: CAD 250,000

BTQ Technologies Corp
Buyer: Roussy Newton, Olivier Francois (Director of Issuer, Senior Officer of Issuer)
Shares Purchased: 100,000 (+0.2%)
Price: CAD 3.08
Total Value: CAD 307,600

CDN Insider Sales

TC Energy Corp (TRP)
Seller: Chapman III, Stanley G. (Senior Officer of Issuer)
Shares Sold: 267,435 (-85.5%)
Price: CAD 66.51
Total Value: CAD 17,785,898

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM)
Seller: Culham, Harry Kenneth (Director or Senior Officer of Insider or Subsidiary of Issuer)
Shares Sold: 40,400 (-92.3%)
Price: CAD 94.60
Total Value: CAD 3,821,800

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM)
Seller: Culham, Harry Kenneth (Director or Senior Officer of Insider or Subsidiary of Issuer)
Shares Sold: 46,642 (-93.3%)
Price: CAD 95.30
Total Value: CAD 4,444,983

Sol Strategies Inc. (formerly, Cypherpunk Holdings Inc.)
Seller: Guoga, Antanas (Tony) (Director of Issuer, Senior Officer of Issuer)
Shares Sold: 739,600 (-1.5%)
Price: CAD 2.40
Total Value: CAD 1,775,188

Sandstorm Gold Ltd (SSL)
Seller: Awram, David (Director of Issuer, Senior Officer of Issuer)
Shares Sold: 50,000 (-6.7%)
Price: CAD 8.06
Total Value: CAD 403,000

Institutional Spotlight: Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending (NCDL)

According to recent filings with the SEC, Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending Corp. (NCDL) has garnered significant institutional interest, with 56 institutional owners collectively holding 12,038,995 shares. Major players like Blue Owl Capital Holdings LP, CI Private Wealth, LLC, and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC are leading this ownership roster, along with other prominent institutions such as Stifel Financial Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Morgan Stanley. Notably, Callodine Capital Management, LP, Snowden Capital Advisors LLC, and Acadian Asset Management LLC also maintain meaningful stakes.

Institutional ownership of NCDL reflects both active and passive investment strategies. Schedule 13D filings, which indicate active ownership of over 5%, reveal a focus on influencing the company’s business direction. Meanwhile, Schedule 13G filings highlight passive positions exceeding 5%, signaling confidence in the stock’s long-term potential without direct involvement in governance.

The stock has experienced modest downward pressure this year, with the share price declining by 3.03%, from $17.85 on January 25, 2024, to $17.31 as of December 13, 2024. Despite this, continued institutional support underscores confidence in the company’s underlying fundamentals. The breadth of participation from diverse financial powerhouses suggests a resilient interest in NCDL, with long-term value opportunities remaining attractive to active and passive investors.

Institutional Momentum Watchlists

Welcome to the Institutional Momentum Watchlist, an exclusive feature for our members. This list highlights stocks that have recently caught the attention of institutional investors, either through new purchases or significant additions. These stocks are selected based on promising technical setups that suggest potential momentum. Our systematic approach filters for opportunities where institutional sponsorship aligns with favorable technical conditions, offering a unique edge in your trading strategy. Keep an eye on this watchlist as we update it each weekend with the latest insights from the market.

Click on the CandleGlance chart to view it in full size. Find a chart that matches your criteria or interests. You can easily save it to your watchlist on StockCharts.com for further analysis and tracking or copy and paste the ticker list into your chart provider.

US Institutional Momentum Watchlist

EXPORT – US – Institutional – 2024-12-13

ONDS, AVGO, BNED, ASPI, SATX, DPRO, CRDO, MRVL, DBI, CLS, ALAB, XPOF, SQFT, AWH, INVZ, BNOX, REE, IKT, CIEN, BKKT, CDTX, KINS, VRNA, ANET, WGS, TNXP, TSM, USD, MU, TSLA, RDW, VSCO, PLTR, PGR, REVG, RAIL, VVOS, ARQT, MIND, RSSS, QFIN, MOD, ALGS, UTZ, AFRM, TARS, BIRK, REPL, ARM, NEXT, DCTH, DKS, COHR, AESI, DCGO, LITE, BEAT, WSM, TPX, MTSI, PYPL, PMTS, FNGS, BOW, FBTC, GLBE, MIR, VITL, BTM, COOP, GDOT, SPR, RTX, DECK, QNST, SRE, TWN, YPF, SPG, FR, FOUR, KTOS, CHWY, MTUM, STK, GLPI, EGP, IRON, SMTC, AZO, EQH, ENFN, USFD, CIM, NCDL, CRWD, SPOT, GEV, AXP, HDB, CAAP, CME, CIO, ECX, PFGC, GPI, PENG, XLK, CMPO, USM, SKX, FWONK, CW, V, EURK, CNP, FFIV, AGR, AAPL, USDU, BKLN, BOXX, APH, XMTR

Canadian Institutional Momentum Watchlist

EXPORT – CDN – Institutional – 2024-12-13

CLS.TO, TH.TO, GLXY.TO, FCU.TO, DRM.TO, MTA.V, VHI.TO, ECN.TO, YGR.TO, CPX.TO, TA.TO, CVE.TO, FC.TO, ARX.TO, PPTA.TO, DCBO.TO, BEPC.TO, ATD.TO, TCW.TO, MFC.TO, TPZ.TO, BDI.TO, BNS.TO, AFN.TO, MDA.TO, OLA.TO, AIM.TO, X.TO, SES.TO, TFII.TO, EMA.TO, CHP/UN.TO, LB.TO, IGM.TO

To conclude our report, we thank you for your engagement and insights. Your feedback is valuable, and we encourage you to share your recommendations. Stay attentive to the Daily Setups, the Workspace, and the Watchlists for emerging opportunities. Additionally, explore the PDFs of the scanner results provided in the Daily Setups report. Until next time, happy trading!