Option Focus | Moderna's $9.18 Million In-the-Money Call Purchase Targets $160 Strike into 2026, Signaling Strong Institutional Bullish Conviction

Option Witch09-24

Moderna closed at $182.11, down 0.25%.

Options activity in Moderna revealed a standout $9.18 million bullish position, with institutional flow concentrated in a long-dated, in-the-money call purchase. The trade dominates a session in which total call activity outpaced puts, reflecting a constructive view. With elevated implied volatility and a call/put volume ratio of 1.46, the positioning points to conviction that Moderna can sustain an upward trajectory through 2026.

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Options Indicators

Moderna’s implied volatility is 84.40%, and with an IV percentile of 72.11%, current volatility sits in an elevated range, indicating that options are priced expensively relative to their own recent history. The IV/HV ratio of 1.08 also suggests implied volatility is running slightly above realized volatility, meaning the options market is embedding somewhat richer forward-looking movement expectations than what the stock has recently delivered.

The Call/Put volume ratio is 1.46.

Large Trades

A call purchase worth $9.18 million stood out as the key large trade, with buyers taking 2,000 contracts of the November 20, 2026 $160.00 call. With MRNA referenced at $182.11, this call was already in the money at execution, which makes the trade more delta-sensitive and more immediately responsive to upside in the stock. The positioning is clearly bullish: the buyer is paying substantial premium for leveraged upside exposure over a long-dated horizon, suggesting confidence that MRNA can sustain or extend gains well beyond the current share price.

Overall, the large-trade flow points to a clear bullish bias in MRNA. The activity was concentrated in a sizable in-the-money long call purchase rather than in premium-selling or hedging structures, indicating that the trader was seeking directional upside participation rather than income generation or protection. That profile typically reflects constructive sentiment and a willingness to commit meaningful capital to a higher-conviction upside view.

Strategy Reference

Given the elevated IV percentile, premium sellers could consider the November 20, 2026 $250.00 call for a low assignment probability, while a bull call spread using the $160.00/$200.00 strikes offers a defined-risk alternative for those preferring not to post substantial margin.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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