Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Mastercard (NYSE:MA), 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 MA usually suggests something big is about to happen.

We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga’s options scanner highlighted 8 extraordinary options activities for Mastercard. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.

The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 37% leaning bullish and 50% bearish. Among these notable options, 6 are puts, totaling $372,998, and 2 are calls, amounting to $95,160.

Projected Price Targets

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $510.0 to $600.0 for Mastercard over the last 3 months.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Mastercard’s options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Mastercard’s substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $510.0 to $600.0 over the preceding 30 days.

Mastercard 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Noteworthy Options Activity:

Symbol	PUT/CALL	Trade Type	Sentiment	Exp. Date	Ask	Bid	Price	Strike Price	Total Trade Price	Open Interest	Volume
MA	PUT	TRADE	BEARISH	09/19/25	$27.75	$26.25	$27.75	$560.00	$99.9K	815	88
MA	PUT	SWEEP	BEARISH	09/19/25	$29.0	$28.95	$29.0	$560.00	$75.4K	815	52
MA	PUT	TRADE	NEUTRAL	09/19/25	$29.25	$27.55	$28.51	$560.00	$74.1K	815	0
MA	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	03/20/26	$79.3	$78.25	$79.3	$510.00	$55.5K	19	12
MA	PUT	SWEEP	BEARISH	09/19/25	$25.95	$24.95	$25.68	$560.00	$48.6K	815	88

About Mastercard

Mastercard is the second-largest payment processor in the world, having processed close to $10 trillion in volume during 2024. Mastercard operates in over 200 countries and processes transactions in over 150 currencies.

Having examined the options trading patterns of Mastercard, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance

Mastercard’s Current Market Status

• Currently trading with a volume of 318,788, the MA’s price is up by 1.03%, now at $551.41.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 33 days.

What The Experts Say On Mastercard

A total of 2 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $655.0.

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.
* Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Truist Securities lowers its rating to Buy with a new price target of $640.
* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from UBS keeps a Buy rating on Mastercard with a target price of $670.

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 Mastercard with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	41.27	0.30	0.73	1.1K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	216.37	1.36	0.63	4.3K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	106.96	0.53	0.49	105
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	146.00	0.66	0.45	673
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	81.45	0.28	0.34	3.7K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	86.03	0.28	0.32	35.9K
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	251.60	0.53	0.21	14.3K
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	87.96	0.18	0.20	880
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	134.47	0.25	0.18	3.9K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	51.85	0.06	0.11	292.6K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	80.15	-0.02	-0.03	1.5K

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.

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed further improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Thursday.

U.S. stocks settled higher on Thursday, with the Dow Jones index gaining more than 400 points during the session.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) on Thursday reported better-than-expected earnings for the third quarter. Worthington Steel, Inc. (NYSE:WS) shares jumped more than 20% on Thursday as the company reported stronger-than-expected financial results for the fourth quarter.

On the economic front, the first-quarter GDP was revised downward to -0.5% from the previous -0.2% figure, primarily due to a widening goods trade deficit linked to weaker exports. Yet, other data released Thursday painted a more positive picture.

Factory orders in May soared by 16.4% month-over-month to $343.6 billion, marking the biggest increase since July 2014. That followed a revised 6.6% drop in April and smashed market expectations of an 8.5% gain. Weekly jobless claims fell by 10,000 to 236,000 in the week ending June 21, while economists had forecast no change — another sign of labor market resilience.

Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a positive note, with communication services, consumer discretionary and energy stocks recording the biggest gains on Thursday. However, real estate and consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.

The Dow Jones closed higher by around 404 points to 43,386.84 on Thursday. The S&P 500 rose 0.80% to 6,141.02, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.97% to 20,167.91 during Thursday’s session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:APOG) and Cineverse Corp. (NASDAQ:CNVS) today.

What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

At a current reading of 63, the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Thursday, versus a prior reading of 58.2.

The Fear & Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.

Read Next:

• Top 2 Tech And Telecom Stocks You May Want To Dump In June

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Friday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:

• Wall Street expects Apogee Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ:APOG) to report quarterly earnings at 47 cents per share on revenue of $325.48 million before the opening bell, according to data from Benzinga Pro. Apogee Enterprises shares gained 3.1% to $40.89 in after-hours trading.
• Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results for fiscal 2025 on Thursday after the market closed. The company reported fourth-quarter revenue of $11.1 billion, beating analyst estimates of $10.72 billion. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings of 14 cents per share, beating analyst estimates of 11 cents per share, according to Benzinga Pro. Nike shares jumped 10.9% to $69.35 in the after-hours trading session.
• Analysts are expecting Cineverse Corp. (NASDAQ:CNVS) to post a loss of 7 cents per share on revenue of $14.29 million for the latest quarter. The company will release earnings after the markets close. Cineverse shares rose 5% to close at $4.18 on Thursday.

Check out our premarket coverage here

• American Outdoor Brands Inc. (NASDAQ:AOUT) posted upbeat fourth-quarter results. American Outdoor Brands reported quarterly adjusted earnings of 13 cents per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate for losses of 11 cents per share. Quarterly revenue came in at $61.94 million, beating the Street estimate of $48.46 million. American Outdoor Brands shares climbed 6.6% to $12.75 in after-hours trading.
• Concentrix Corp. (NASDAQ:CNXC) posted mixed second-quarter results after Thursday’s closing bell. Concentrix reported quarterly earnings of $2.70 per share, which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $2.75. Quarterly revenue came in at $2.42 billion, which beat the Street estimate of $2.38 billion. Concentrix shares dipped 9% to $50.15 in the after-hours trading session.

Read Next:

• Top 2 Tech And Telecom Stocks You May Want To Dump In June

Photo courtesy: Tupungato / Shutterstock.com

Serve Robotics Inc. (SERV), a leader in autonomous sidewalk delivery, announced Thursday the launch of its service in the Atlanta metro area. This follows successful expansions in Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas-Fort Worth and is part of Serve’s ongoing partnership with Uber Eats, a subsidiary of Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER).

Serve’s autonomous robots have already started delivering meals in Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, and Downtown Atlanta, serving over 50,000 residents.

Customers ordering from local restaurants like Rreal Tacos and Ponko Chicken can now receive their meals via Serve’s robots. The company’s partnership with Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK) will also extend to Atlanta.

Also Read: McDonald’s And Krispy Kreme To End Partnership In July, Doughnut Company CEO Says Efforts To Bring Costs Down With Unit Demand Were ‘Unsuccessful

Dr. Ali Kashani, CEO and co-founder of Serve Robotics, said the choice of Atlanta, a rapidly growing tech hub, will help expand operations in one of the Southeast’s largest markets. Serve’s robots aim to reduce traffic congestion and provide efficient, emission-free last-mile deliveries. The company has established strong local partnerships to ensure a smooth rollout.

This move aligns with Serve’s broader goal of deploying 2,000 AI-powered delivery robots across the U.S. by the end of 2025. The expansion will also create new job opportunities in operations and maintenance, contributing to the local economy.

Megan Jensen, Head of Autonomous Delivery Operations at Uber, stressed that autonomous delivery is key to Uber’s vision of making food delivery more convenient and innovative.

Price Action: SERV shares are trading higher by 5.28% to $10.77 premarket at last check Thursday.

Read Next:

• Walgreens Crushes Sales Forecast, But Deeper Retail Troubles Lurk Beneath

Photo by Walter Cicchetti via Shutterstock

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	250.54	1.19	0.47	33.2K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	105.70	0.49	0.46	738
(NYSE:XLB)	Materials Select Sector SPDR	87.16	0.34	0.39	1.1K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	84.87	0.33	0.39	36.6K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	80.75	0.25	0.31	1.1K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	213.51	0.46	0.21	1.1K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	51.48	0.07	0.13	155.0K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	41.28	0.05	0.12	3.2K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	143.95	0.17	0.11	869
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	134.05	0.15	0.11	18.8K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	80.30	0.06	0.07	23.7K

No loser in today’s Pre-market session.

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.

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks settled mixed on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 100 points during the session.

At a NATO meeting in the Netherlands, President Donald Trump said that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains in place and that the United States will continue exerting pressure on Tehran. He clarified that while sanctions remain, Iran is currently allowed to sell oil to China.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) led chipmaker gains, rising 3.6% and reaching its highest level since early December 2024. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares jumped 4.3% on Wednesday.

On the economic front, sales of new single-family homes in the U.S. dipped by 13.7% from the previous month to an annualized rate of 623,000 units in May. U.S. building permits declined by 2% to an annualized rate of 1.394 million in May.

Most sectors on the S&P 500 closed on a negative note, with real estate, consumer staples and utilities stocks recording the biggest losses on Wednesday. However, information technology and communication services stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.

The Dow Jones closed lower by around 107 points to 42,982.43 on Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 0.02 points to 6,092.16, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.31% at 19,973.55 during Wednesday’s session.

Investors are awaiting earnings results from Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA), Acuity Inc. (NYSE:AYI) and NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) today.

What is CNN Business Fear & Greed Index?

At a current reading of 58.8, the index remained in the “Greed” zone on Wednesday, versus a prior reading of 57.1.

The Fear & Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.

Read Next:

• Top 2 Utilities Stocks That May Fall Off A Cliff In Q2

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Thursday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:

• Wall Street expects Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) to report quarterly earnings at 34 cents per share on revenue of $36.84 billion before the opening bell, according to data from Benzinga Pro. Walgreens shares gained 0.1% to $11.32 in after-hours trading.
• Worthington Steel Inc. (NYSE:WS) reported stronger-than-expected financial results for the fourth quarter. The company reported quarterly earnings of $1.05 per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of 82 cents per share. Worthington Steel shares jumped 14.2% to $30.00 in the after-hours trading session.
• Analysts are expecting Acuity Inc. (NYSE:AYI) to post earnings at $4.43 per share on revenue of $1.15 billion for the latest quarter. The company will release earnings before the markets open. Acuity shares rose 1.4% to $291.37 in the after-hours trading session.

Check out our premarket coverage here

• Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) reported better-than-expected financial results for the third quarter after the market closed on Wednesday. The company said it expects fourth-quarter revenue of $10.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million, versus estimates of $9.88 billion. The company anticipates fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.50 per share, plus or minus 15 cents, versus estimates of $2.01 per share. Micron shares rose 0.9% to $128.40 in the after-hours trading session.
• Analysts expect NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) to post quarterly earnings at 13 cents per share on revenue of $10.72 billion after the closing bell. Nike shares rose 0.1% to $60.91 in the after-hours trading session.

Check This Out:

• Top 2 Utilities Stocks That May Fall Off A Cliff In Q2

Photo courtesy: 2p2play / Shutterstock.com

Footwear and apparel leader Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) could highlight a continued turnaround effort and its go-forward growth strategy when it reports fourth-quarter financial results after the market closes on Thursday.

Here’s a look at the analyst estimates, what experts are saying and key items to watch.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Nike to report fourth-quarter revenue of $10.71 billion, down from $12.61 billion in last year’s fourth quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in two straight quarters and beaten estimates in six of the last 10 quarters overall.

Analysts expect Nike to report fourth-quarter earnings per share of 12 cents, down from 99 cents per share in last year’s fourth quarter.

The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in seven straight quarters and nine of the last 10 quarters.

Read Also: New ETFs Let Investors Mirror Buffett, Ackman, Burry’s Top Stock Trades

What Experts Are Saying: Investors who are looking to buy Nike stock may want to wait until after the dust settles from the latest earnings report.

“Nike has traded lower after eight of its last nine earnings reports, including the last six in a row,” Freedom Capital Markets Chief Global Strategist Jay Woods said in a weekly newsletter.

Woods said Nike stock is down 66% from its all-time high in 2021.

“Earnings have not been good to the iconic sports brand. Shareholders have been anxiously waiting for new management to turn things around, but high inventories and now tariff concerns have stymied any sense of a sustainable rally.”

Looking at the stock chart, Woods said “things aren’t looking good.”

“For this stock to finally reverse it needs more time and a few quarters of solid growth. It may be wiser trying to buy shares on a breakdown towards its lows around $52.”

Needham analyst Tom Nikic said Nike stock could have modest upside in the fourth-quarter earnings, but the turnaround efforts are not over, in a recent note.

The analyst maintained a Buy rating, while reducing the price target from $75 to $66.

Nikic said estimates for the fourth quarter are conservative, while Street expectations for the next fiscal year are “too high” due to the impact of tariffs.

“While we believe that last year’s change in leadership will eventually lead to brighter days for Nike, the company still has a lot of work to do to reignite brand heat and clean up the marketplace,” Nikic said.

Bank of America Securities analyst Lorraine Hutchinson said Nike’s fourth quarter could be the “peak” of sales and margin pressure in a recent note.

The analyst reiterated a Buy rating with an $80 price target on Nike.

Hutchinson said Nike’s Spring ’26 Innovation pipeline is strong, and Nike is in a good position to navigate wholesale challenges. The analyst said Nike can grow retail relationships and its shelf space as competitors scale back.

Here are other recent analyst ratings on Nike and their price targets:

• Truist: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $82 to $73
• Evercore ISI Group: Maintained Outperform rating, lowered price target from $97 to $75
• Deutsche Bank: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $77 to $71
• Barclays: Maintained Equal-Weight rating, lowered price target from $60 to $53

Key Items to Watch: Nike’s third quarter results saw the North American sector (-4%) with the lowest year-over-year decline of the segments, while Greater China’s 17% decline was the worst.

Investors will closely watch these two regions to see if trends continue and Nike gets closer to year-over-year breakeven.

Investors and analysts will likely want an update on the company’s growth plans and several recent announcements.

In May, Nike announced it would begin selling on Amazon.com for the first time in six years. The move could mark a shift in Nike’s future as it previously focused on selling directly to customers and likely saw Amazon as a competitor in the ecommerce space.

Nike announced a collaboration with Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS brand in February but later announced it was delaying the launch. Investors and analysts could get an update on this new collaboration and how it could help Nike grow and reach new customers.

NKE Price Action: Nike stock was down 0.9% to $60.83 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $52.28 to $94.74. Nike stock is down 17.7% year-to-date in 2025.

Read Next:

• Bernie Sanders Slams Nike: Company Makes $23 Billion A Year, Workers Make $202 A Month—’Corporate Greed At Its Worst’

Photo: Shutterstock

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	248.38	1.14	0.46	21.1K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	81.60	0.01	0.01	4.1K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	42.1153	-0.145	-0.35	602
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	133.6200	-0.160	-0.12	6.0K
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	81.2800	-0.050	-0.07	2.8K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	84.8700	-0.040	-0.05	31.6K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	51.5700	-0.010	-0.02	119.6K

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.

For more information on sector movers, click here.