Traders Bet Big on Apple, Palantir Drop After Earnings — SkimNews
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- Apple saw 385,000 puts traded by midday, with at least 113,000 likely initiated by buyers, compared to just 64,000 calls bought, signaling strong bearish sentiment ahead of earnings.
- Apple stock is up 25% this year and trading with a negative 0.65 correlation to the Nasdaq 100, making its options positioning stand out from broader tech trends.
- Apple options imply a nearly 4% post-earnings move, more than double the 2.5% average swing over the past two years, according to LiveVol data.
- Palantir options show even stronger bearish pressure, with puts priced at the 97th percentile of the past year and calls at the 76th percentile, per Nations Indexes.
- Palantir market-makers are pricing in an 11.5% implied move after earnings, above the 10% two-year average, reflecting heightened volatility expectations.
- A trader opened a new position buying about 750 in-the-money 250-strike Palantir puts expiring in mid-February for $5.1 million, the largest single trade in the stock that day.
Why it matters: With Apple and Palantir both facing outsized implied moves and heavy put activity, investors are bracing for sharp reactions regardless of earnings outcomes—especially as Apple’s inverse Nasdaq correlation and Palantir’s post-rally vulnerability increase the risk of a reversal. The $5.1 million Palantir put block underscores concentrated downside conviction.
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