Unusual Options Activity: Mastercard (MA)

The June 2020 $280 call options on Mastercard (MA), saw a surge in volume from 345 open contracts to over 4,000 trade. With shares around $277, the option is near-the-money, and could start moving dollar-for-dollar higher with shares between now and June if the company rallies.

At a price of $21.10 per option, or $2,110 per contract, it’s not for every trader, but it’s far cheaper than the price of buying 100 shares and hoping for a move higher.

Shares of the payment processing company have had a great run in the past year, nearly tripling the return of the S&P 500 in the same time. While shares sound conventionally expensive based on a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 30, the company’s fat 42 percent profit margins and double-digit revenue growth of 12 percent make this a surprising growth play in a large-cap package right now.