Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Microsoft ( MSFT ).

Looking at options history for Microsoft ( MSFT ) we detected 12 trades.

If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 25% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 41% with bearish.

From the overall spotted trades, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $982,608 and 7, calls, for a total amount of $420,260.

Predicted Price Range

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $280.0 to $465.0 for Microsoft ( MSFT ) over the last 3 months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.

This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Microsoft's ( MSFT ) options for a given strike price.

Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Microsoft's ( MSFT ) whale activity within a strike price range from $280.0 to $465.0 in the last 30 days.

Microsoft 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Microsoft

Microsoft ( MSFT ) develops and licenses consumer and enterprise software. It is known for its Windows operating systems and Office productivity suite. The company is organized into three equally sized broad segments: productivity and business processes (legacy Microsoft Office ( MSFT ), cloud-based Office 365, Exchange, SharePoint, Skype, LinkedIn, Dynamics), intelligence cloud (infrastructure- and platform-as-a-service offerings Azure, Windows Server OS, SQL Server), and more personal computing (Windows Client, Xbox, Bing search, display advertising, and Surface laptops, tablets, and desktops).

Having examined the options trading patterns of Microsoft ( MSFT ), our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance

Where Is Microsoft Standing Right Now?

With a trading volume of 222,044, the price of MSFT is up by 0.2%, reaching $425.7.

Current RSI values indicate that the stock is is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.

Next earnings report is scheduled for 28 days from now.

What Analysts Are Saying About Microsoft

A total of 4 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $525.0.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access.

* Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Loop Capital keeps a Buy rating on Microsoft ( MSFT ) with a target price of $550.

* An analyst from Mizuho persists with their Outperform rating on Microsoft ( MSFT ), maintaining a target price of $510.

* An analyst from Stifel persists with their Buy rating on Microsoft ( MSFT ), maintaining a target price of $515.

* An analyst from UBS persists with their Buy rating on Microsoft ( MSFT ), maintaining a target price of $525.

Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.

If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Microsoft ( MSFT ), Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.