Option Focus | Intel's $3.08 Million Put Sale at $70 Strike Signals Willingness to Accumulate Shares, While Bull Call Spread Adds Upside Bet

Option Witch
Yesterday

Intel Corporation closed at $88.97, down 0.60%.

Options activity showed a notable bullish tilt, headlined by a $3.08 million sale of out-of-the-money puts. The dominant block flow centered on premium collection and downside underwriting, while a separate $70,400 bull call spread added a defined-risk upside target. Overall positioning suggests traders see limited downside and are positioning for stability-to-upside rather than bracing for a breakdown.

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Options Indicators

INTC’s implied volatility is 59.87%, while its IV percentile stands at 17.86%, which indicates that although the absolute IV level is not low, it sits near the lower end of its own historical range. In other words, current option pricing is relatively cheap, and volatility is on the low side versus where it has traded over the past year. With an IV/HV ratio of 1.35, implied volatility is running above historical volatility, suggesting the market is still assigning a moderate premium to forward uncertainty, but overall the options market is not in an expensive regime. The Call/Put volume ratio is 1.62.

Large Trades

A put sale worth $3.08 million was the largest displayed trade, with 5,000 contracts sold on the March 19, 2027 $70.00 put. With INTC referenced at $88.97, this strike sits out of the money, making the position a moderately bullish cash-secured-style expression or a premium-collection trade that benefits if the stock stays above $70.00 into expiration. The seller is effectively signaling willingness to own shares at a lower level while monetizing downside volatility, which is typically interpreted as constructive rather than defensive positioning.

A bullish call spread with a net debit of $70,400 was the other highlighted large trade, built through the purchase of 1,100 September 11, 2026 $94.00 calls and the sale of 1,100 September 11, 2026 $102.00 calls. Both strikes are out of the money versus the $88.97 stock reference, so this is a defined-risk upside structure targeting a move higher into that expiration window. Because it is a bull call spread entered for a net debit, the strategy reflects a directional bullish bet rather than income generation, with the trader seeking leveraged upside participation while capping both maximum profit and initial cost.

Overall, the large-trade flow points clearly to a bullish bias in INTC. The dominant premium concentration came from out-of-the-money put selling, which suggests investors were comfortable underwriting downside and potentially accumulating shares on weakness, while the featured upside spread adds a separate defined-risk call for appreciation. Taken together, the block activity indicates constructive sentiment with traders leaning toward stability-to-upside rather than preparing for a meaningful bearish breakdown.

Strategy Reference

For a low assignment probability put sale, consider the March 2027 $75.00 strike, which sits further below the money than the featured $70.00 put while still collecting meaningful premium; alternatively, a September 11, 2026 $94.00/$102.00 bull call spread mirrors the large-trade structure with limited margin exposure and a defined-risk upside profile.

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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