Option Focus | SPCX's $61.8M Double Short Put Combo & $19.7M Synthetic Short Signal Institutional Bearishness

Option Witch
Jul 16

SpaceX closed at 135.27 USD, down 0.60%. Recent large options trades in SPCX, including a $61.81 million premium-collection strategy and a $19.70 million synthetic short, highlight significant institutional positioning amidst a modest daily stock decline.

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Options Indicators

SPCX’s implied volatility is 93.11%, and with an IV percentile of 95.73%, current volatility sits at a clearly elevated level relative to its own recent history, indicating that options are priced expensively. The IV/HV ratio of 1.08 also suggests implied volatility is running slightly above realized volatility, reinforcing the view that the options market is carrying a modest premium for forward uncertainty. The Call/Put volume ratio is 0.87.

Large Trades

A put-heavy premium collection trade worth $61.81 million was the largest displayed block, structured as a same-direction double short put combination by selling 4,747 contracts of the August 21, 2026 $200.00 put and 4,747 contracts of the July 17, 2026 $200.00 put. This is a net credit position designed to collect option premium, and with both strikes deep in-the-money versus the $135.27 reference stock price, it reflects a high-conviction volatility or range-view trade rather than an outright bullish expression. Strategically, the seller appears willing to take on downside assignment risk across two maturities in exchange for premium income, which fits a neutral-to-bearish stance in the context of the aggregated sentiment.

A synthetic short worth $19.70 million was the other displayed large trade, built by buying 5,000 contracts of the September 18, 2026 $150.00 put and selling 5,000 contracts of the September 18, 2026 $150.00 call. This sell call plus buy put structure creates a net bearish exposure similar to shorting the stock, and it was executed for a net debit across the combined position. With the put already in-the-money and the call out-of-the-money relative to the $135.27 reference price, the trade expresses a clear directional downside bet while also using options to define the positioning through expiration.

Overall sentiment was decisively bearish, with total bearish large-trade flow of $110.93 million against just $1.49 million of bullish flow, leaving a net bearish imbalance of $109.45 million. The directional judgment is clearly negative: the tape was dominated by repeated synthetic short structures and reinforced by the large premium-selling put combination, indicating that institutional activity was skewed toward downside positioning, defensive structuring, and income generation under a cautious-to-bearish market view rather than upside accumulation.

Strategy Reference

For traders seeking to collect premium with a defined-risk profile in this high-IV environment, a bear put spread using OTM strikes, such as buying a $130 put and selling a $120 put, could limit downside exposure while still positioning for a decline.

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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