MSFT is still popular nearly two weeks after its report
The tech sector was in focus over the past week, as quarterly results from Apple (AAPL), Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon.com (AMZN), and Meta Platforms (META) rolled in. While Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) had its a turn in the earnings confessional beforehand, the equity is still popular in the options pits nearly two weeks after its report.
In fact, MSFT landed on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks that have attracted the highest weekly options volume during the past 10 days. According to White's data, 2,874,979 calls exchanged over this period, compared to 2,428,305 puts. The most popular contract during this time was the weekly 1/27 250-strike call.
Looking back further, options traders have been bearish on MSFT. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the equity sports a 50-day put/call volume ratio that ranks in the 98th percentile of its annual range.
Last seen down 1% at $255.82, Microsoft stock is testing the 200-day moving average, after last week settling above the trendline for the first time since April. The $265 region turned down the equity's latest rally, though, just as it did in mid-December. Year-over-year, the shares are down 16.3%.
