Marina Lyubimova
⬤ Intel closed at about $40.07 after it slid roughly 3 % in the latest session. Unusual Whales, which tracks options, recorded net premium that turned sharply negative - price and options flow moved together all morning.
⬤ The shares opened above $41 - yet steady selling shoved them toward $40 before noon. Call premium lost value as the stock dropped, a sign that bullish hope was fading. Put premium rose fast and stayed high while the decline continued. The data placed net premium near negative $6.68 million - put premium at about $1.99 million, call premium at roughly negative $4.10 million. The figures reveal heavy bearish positioning.
⬤ Volume surged during the steepest part of the slide matching the surge in negative premium. At the close Intel held just above $40, far below its early peak. The lock step fall in price and rise in bearish options activity underlined the power of the selling.
⬤ Big moves in options premium often steer short term mood, above all when they echo a clear price trend. Intel's retreat paired with deeply negative premium readings, shows the size of current bearish bets. The way options flow acts while INTC steadies near those prices will likely shape short term views on the stock's next move.
Marina Lyubimova
