Options Traders React To Mattel's Big Day

MAT has added 27% off its late-August lows

It's been a volatile week for Mattel Inc (NASDAQ:MAT). After a 6.5% drop last Tuesday, the shares are up 13.2% to trade at $13.20 today after the company reported a third-quarter revenue beat, seemingly brushing off any impact from tariffs. The toy company also also resolved the recent accounting probe stemming from a whistleblower report from August. In response to the big day, options traders are testing the water in greater numbers today.

With just under two hours left in trading, more than 13,000 MAT options have crossed the tape so far -- 11 times the average intraday amount, and almost double the amount of puts traded. Leading the charge is the weekly 11/1 11.50-strike call, but there are also new positions being opened at the 12.50- and 13-strikes at the same series.

And near-term options traders are skeptical it would seem, since the Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) comes in at 3.18. This reading ranks in the 85th annual percentile, too, so it's rare to see traders targeting contracts that expire within three months sitting so put-skewed. Much of this is at far out-of-the-money strikes, however, with peak open interest sitting at the January 2020 9-strike put.

Mattel Stock is cruising toward its fourth straight win, and has now added 27% off its Aug. 28 bottom near $9. Meanwhile, the strong results sparked two price-target hikes to $13 and $11 from SunTrust Robinson and Jefferies, respectively. That's especially noteworthy considering seven of the nine analysts in coverage rate MAT a tepid "hold."