Author: Benzinga Insights

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST), and it’s something market players shouldn’t ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in COST usually suggests something big is about to happen.

We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga’s options scanner highlighted 27 extraordinary options activities for Costco Wholesale. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.

The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 25% leaning bullish and 51% bearish. Among these notable options, 14 are puts, totaling $707,651, and 13 are calls, amounting to $586,825.

Expected Price Movements

After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it’s evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $700.0 and $1140.0 for Costco Wholesale, spanning the last three months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Costco Wholesale options trades today is 184.81 with a total volume of 685.00.

In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Costco Wholesale’s big money trades within a strike price range of $700.0 to $1140.0 over the last 30 days.

Costco Wholesale Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Significant Options Trades Detected:

Symbol	PUT/CALL	Trade Type	Sentiment	Exp. Date	Ask	Bid	Price	Strike Price	Total Trade Price	Open Interest	Volume
COST	PUT	TRADE	BEARISH	06/20/25	$56.25	$56.25	$56.25	$1000.00	$112.5K	431	54
COST	PUT	TRADE	BEARISH	06/20/25	$50.0	$47.05	$50.0	$1000.00	$100.0K	431	30
COST	PUT	TRADE	BULLISH	09/19/25	$174.2	$171.5	$171.5	$1140.00	$68.6K	0	4
COST	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	06/18/26	$132.35	$127.45	$132.35	$1000.00	$66.1K	64	5
COST	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	05/02/25	$29.0	$27.85	$29.0	$975.00	$63.8K	118	22

About Costco Wholesale

Costco operates a membership-based, no-frills retail model predicated on offering a select product assortment in bulk quantities at bargain prices. The firm avoids maintaining costly product displays by keeping inventory on pallets and limits distribution expenses by storing its inventory at point of sale in the warehouse. Given its frugal cost structure, the firm is able to price its merchandise below that of competing retailers, driving high sales volume per warehouse and generating strong profits on thin margins. Costco operates over 600 warehouses in the United States and has over 60% share in the domestic warehouse club industry. Internationally, Costco operates another 280 warehouses, primarily in Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the UK.

In light of the recent options history for Costco Wholesale, it’s now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.

Current Position of Costco Wholesale

• With a trading volume of 539,132, the price of COST is down by -2.05%, reaching $974.09.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 38 days from now.

What The Experts Say On Costco Wholesale

4 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $1055.0.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

Benzinga Edge’s Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.
* An analyst from Telsey Advisory Group persists with their Outperform rating on Costco Wholesale, maintaining a target price of $1100.
* An analyst from Telsey Advisory Group has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Costco Wholesale, which currently sits at a price target of $1100.
* An analyst from Mizuho has revised its rating downward to Neutral, adjusting the price target to $975.
* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Loop Capital keeps a Buy rating on Costco Wholesale with a target price of $1045.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Costco Wholesale with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.

No gainer in today’s Pre-market session.

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	189.5000	-3.360	-1.75	28.6K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	182.9400	-2.460	-1.33	9.6K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	80.6500	-0.850	-1.05	39.1K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	46.3400	-0.310	-0.67	134.1K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	124.6000	-0.700	-0.56	8.5K
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	134.7600	-0.730	-0.54	4.2K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	89.7700	-0.440	-0.49	7.2K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	40.3000	-0.150	-0.38	1.2K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	80.4500	-0.300	-0.38	1.4K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	77.5588	-0.211	-0.28	16.9K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	81.7500	-0.120	-0.15	5.6K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alert provides traders with a compiled way to read macro-level market trends. Investors garner a particular interest in sector movers to better determine sectors that are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

To read more about sector movers, click here.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	80.40	0.70	0.87	44.3K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	185.84	1.60	0.86	5.0K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	90.17	0.54	0.60	554
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	194.92	1.01	0.52	158.3K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	80.51	0.31	0.38	6.3K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	125.09	0.47	0.37	21.1K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	39.97	0.15	0.37	505
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	46.70	0.17	0.36	396.9K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	77.23	0.25	0.32	2.3K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	80.27	0.11	0.13	1.7K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	135.17	-1.12	-0.83	49.7K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data the above sector movers alert assists traders in understanding macro-level trends and market variations. Traders will look for sector movers providing information on sectors that are over- or under-performing, deriving these results into investing decisions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

For more information on sector movers, click here.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	195.95	2.04	1.05	115.5K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	80.47	0.77	0.96	42.8K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	185.84	1.60	0.86	4.7K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	90.17	0.54	0.60	554
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	125.27	0.65	0.52	18.4K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	80.51	0.31	0.38	6.3K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	39.97	0.15	0.37	505
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	46.67	0.14	0.30	354.4K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	77.10	0.12	0.15	2.3K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	80.27	0.11	0.13	1.7K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	135	-1.29	-0.95	46.5K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alerts can help traders understand macro-level market trends. Traders often look for sector movers to provide high-level analysis on which sectors are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

For more information on sector movers, click here.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	79.53	0.48	0.60	91.2K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	80.98	0.15	0.18	2.0K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	81.10	0.07	0.08	6.1K
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	137.81	0.12	0.08	1.7K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	77.72	0.04	0.05	3.5K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	196.2300	-4.66	-2.32	62.4K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	187.3000	-1.60	-0.85	8.5K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	91.4600	-0.65	-0.71	4.8K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	39.6701	-0.17	-0.43	7.0K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	125.9600	-0.39	-0.31	13.1K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	47.1400	-0.13	-0.28	245.2K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data the above sector movers alert assists traders in understanding macro-level trends and market variations. Traders will look for sector movers providing information on sectors that are over- or under-performing, deriving these results into investing decisions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

For more information on sector movers, click here.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	47.221	0.071	0.15	278.7K
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	200.270	0.110	0.05	67.9K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	81.0500	-0.420	-0.52	4.6K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	78.8700	-0.300	-0.38	46.4K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	126.5200	-0.460	-0.37	3.2K
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	138.2200	-0.320	-0.24	5.5K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	77.5506	-0.139	-0.18	3.0K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	81.5900	-0.130	-0.16	3.5K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	190.0500	-0.220	-0.12	3.9K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	91.8700	-0.010	-0.02	2.2K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data the above sector movers alert assists traders in understanding macro-level trends and market variations. Traders will look for sector movers providing information on sectors that are over- or under-performing, deriving these results into investing decisions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

To read more about sector movers, click here.

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on American Express (NYSE:AXP).

And retail traders should know.

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

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga‘s options scanner spotted 15 uncommon options trades for American Express.

This isn’t normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 66% bullish and 33%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 7 are puts, for a total amount of $370,315, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $1,338,565.

Expected Price Movements

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $195.0 to $290.0 for American Express over the last 3 months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.

This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for American Express’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 American Express’s whale activity within a strike price range from $195.0 to $290.0 in the last 30 days.

American Express 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Largest Options Trades Observed:

Symbol	PUT/CALL	Trade Type	Sentiment	Exp. Date	Ask	Bid	Price	Strike Price	Total Trade Price	Open Interest	Volume
AXP	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	01/15/27	$49.6	$48.8	$49.6	$250.00	$863.0K	20	31
AXP	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	05/16/25	$17.05	$16.6	$17.05	$250.00	$146.6K	334	88
AXP	CALL	TRADE	BEARISH	01/15/27	$50.5	$49.6	$49.6	$250.00	$124.0K	20	31
AXP	PUT	TRADE	BULLISH	04/17/25	$8.75	$8.25	$8.25	$255.00	$82.5K	390	102
AXP	PUT	TRADE	BULLISH	04/25/25	$9.1	$8.75	$8.75	$252.50	$65.6K	2	81

About American Express

American Express is a global financial institution, operating in about 130 countries, that provides consumers and businesses charge and credit card payment products. The company also operates a highly profitable merchant payment network. Since 2018, it has operated in three segments: global consumer services, global commercial services, and global merchant and network services. In addition to payment products, the company’s commercial business offers expense management tools, consulting services, and business loans.

In light of the recent options history for American Express, it’s now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.

American Express’s Current Market Status

• With a trading volume of 1,114,530, the price of AXP is up by 1.17%, reaching $254.06.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 3 days from now.

Expert Opinions on American Express

In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $297.2.

Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?

20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access.
* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from B of A Securities continues to hold a Neutral rating for American Express, targeting a price of $325.
* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Truist Securities continues to hold a Buy rating for American Express, targeting a price of $343.
* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from JP Morgan continues to hold a Neutral rating for American Express, targeting a price of $244.
* An analyst from Citigroup has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on American Express, which currently sits at a price target of $300.
* An analyst from B of A Securities has elevated its stance to Buy, setting a new price target at $274.

Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.

If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for American Express, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	204.00	5.65	2.84	87.5K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	80.34	1.45	1.83	126.2K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	192.16	2.44	1.28	5.8K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	47.22	0.55	1.17	314.3K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	126.98	1.31	1.04	9.1K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	81.33	0.83	1.03	324
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	76.96	0.64	0.83	6.0K
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	138.00	1.13	0.82	6.1K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	91.87	0.60	0.65	2.2K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	80.47	0.12	0.14	36.9K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	38.86	-0.06	-0.16	647

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alerts can help traders understand macro-level market trends. Traders often look for sector movers to provide high-level analysis on which sectors are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

For more information on sector movers, click here.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	135.73	0.84	0.62	9.5K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	78.64	0.46	0.58	5.0K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	90.91	0.41	0.45	6.5K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	77.33	0.35	0.45	134.0K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	188.60	0.70	0.37	7.1K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	123.84	0.35	0.28	4.7K
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	194.87	0.50	0.25	91.1K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	79.45	0.10	0.12	1.6K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	38.42	0.04	0.10	8.5K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	45.83	-0.08	-0.18	850.9K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	75.37	-0.03	-0.04	41.9K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alert provides traders with a compiled way to read macro-level market trends. Investors garner a particular interest in sector movers to better determine sectors that are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

To read more about sector movers, click here.

No gainer in today’s Pre-market session.

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	198.5800	-5.28	-2.60	83.4K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	80.3900	-1.97	-2.40	136.2K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	191.4700	-4.07	-2.09	14.7K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	91.9297	-1.81	-1.94	13.5K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	79.2300	-1.53	-1.90	6.6K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	124.8300	-1.93	-1.53	44.7K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	46.6600	-0.57	-1.21	823.1K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	38.7600	-0.45	-1.15	2.6K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	75.5500	-0.42	-0.56	9.8K
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	138.0100	-0.75	-0.55	35.7K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	79.0400	-0.27	-0.35	10.7K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alerts can help traders understand macro-level market trends. Traders often look for sector movers to provide high-level analysis on which sectors are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

For more information on sector movers, click here.