Options Market Statistics: Apple Stock Dips and Options Pop Amid US Antitrust Monopoly Accusations

$Apple(AAPL)$   shares fell by 4.09%, closing at $171.37. Its options trading volume was 2.25 million. Call contracts account for 56.1% of the total trading volume. The most traded calls are contracts of $175 strike price that expire on Mar 22nd. The total volume reaches 60,924 with an open interest of 25,483. The most traded puts are contracts of a $175 strike price that expires on Mar 22nd; the volume is 39,267 contracts with an open interest of 17,474.

The technology stock dropped 4.1% on news that the Department of Justice was suing. Regulators said that the iPhone ecosystem is a monopoly and anti-competitive practices appear in multiple areas of the business.

$Altria(MO)$   shares rose by 0.36%, closing at $44.95. Its options trading volume was 0.74 million. Call contracts account for 97.6% of the total trading volume. The most traded calls are contracts of $45 strike price that expire on Mar 22nd. The total volume reaches 1,907 with an open interest of 4,650. The most traded puts are contracts of a $45 strike price that expires on June 20th; the volume is 1,562 contracts with an open interest of 860.

Tobacco giant Altria Group entered into an accelerated share repurchase (ASR) transaction with Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs on March 15, 2024, aimed at repurchasing $2.4 billion worth of its own stock. The company has already secured 85% of the targeted shares for repurchase and expects to acquire the remaining shares by the end of the second quarter.

$Micron Technology(MU)$   shares rose by 14.13%, closing at $109.85. Its options trading volume was 0.86 million. Call contracts account for 71% of the total trading volume. The most traded calls are contracts of $100 strike price that expire on Mar 22nd. The total volume reaches 11,425 with an open interest of 14,160. The most traded puts are contracts of a $95 strike price that expires on Mar 22nd; the volume is 5,155 contracts with an open interest of 6,182.

The semiconductor manufacturer popped 14.1% after beating analyst expectations for its fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue. Micron posted earnings of 42 cents per share on $5.82 billion of revenue. Analysts polled by LSEG expected a loss of 25 cents per share on $5.35 billion of revenue analysts had expected. The company also guided for higher third-quarter earnings and revenue than consensus had estimated.

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