Market Overview
U.S. stocks retreated from artificial-intelligence-fueled record highs on Friday (May 15), as spiking crude prices ignited global inflation fears.
Regarding the options market, a total volume of 75,405,233 contracts was traded, up 10% from the previous trading day.
Top 10 Option Volumes
Top 10: NVDA, TSLA, MSFT, AAPL, INTC, MU, MSTR, VIX, AMZN, PLTR
Source: Tiger Trade App
The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index slid 4% on Friday, dragged lower by stocks that have benefited from the AI hyperscaler phenomenon. Nvidia and AMD fell by 4.4% and 5.7%, respectively, while Intel dropped 6.2%.
There are 4.66 million Nvidia option contracts traded on Friday, down 7% from the previous trading day. Call options account for 69% of overall option trades. Particularly high volume was seen for the $230 strike call option expiring May 15, with 562,974 contracts trading. NVDA 20260515 230.0 CALL
Microsoft shares gained 3.1% on Friday. Bill Ackman's hedge fund Pershing Square will disclose a new position in Microsoft later on Friday, the billionaire investor said, arguing that the tech giant sits at a "highly compelling valuation" after a recent decline in its stock.
There are 1.84 million Microsoft option contracts traded on Friday, up 148% from the previous trading day. Call options account for 82% of overall option trades. Particularly high volume was seen for the $425 strike call option expiring May 15, with 162,016 contracts trading. MSFT 20260515 425.0 CALL
Unusual Options Activity
Source: Market Chameleon
Ford shares dropped 7.5% on Friday, retreating from a near 21% surge over the last two sessions on optimism over the automaker's energy storage business.
There are 480.97K Ford option contracts traded on Friday, down 44% from the previous trading day. Call options account for 75% of overall option trades. Particularly high volume was seen for the $14 strike call option expiring May 29, with 47,734 contracts trading. F 20260529 14.0 CALL
POET Technologies shares tumbled 22.4% on Friday, trimming some gains but still leaving the stock well up for last week. The drop came as the optical-chip company locked in a planned $400 million financing and raised new doubts about how soon it can convert AI demand into real sales. The stock settled at $15.97, down from $20.57 Thursday, after touching $20.81 that day.
There are 320.60K POET Technologies option contracts traded on Friday, down 26% from the previous trading day. Call options account for 52% of overall option trades. Particularly high volume was seen for the $8 strike call option expiring July 17, with 27,476 contracts trading. POET 20260717 8.0 CALL
If you are interested in options and you want to:
Share experiences and ideas on options trading.
Read options-related market updates/insights.
Learn more about options trading if you are a beginner in this field.
Please click to join Tiger Options Club