MercadoLibre Option Alert: Jan, 2027 $1700 Calls at the Ask: 7 vs 20 OI; Earnings 2/20 After Close 

MercadoLibre Option Alert: Jan, 2027 $1700 Calls at the Ask: 7 @ $715.0 vs 20 OI; Earnings 2/20 After Close Ref=$2103.665

MercadoLibre Option Alert: Fri $2000 Calls at the Bid: 75 vs 283 OI; Earnings 2/20 After Close 

MercadoLibre Option Alert: Fri $2000 Calls at the Bid: 75 @ $128.0 vs 283 OI; Earnings 2/20 After Close Ref=$2082.19

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) Azioni

MercadoLibre

MercadoLibre runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America, with more than 218 million active users and 1 million active sellers across 18 countries stitching into its commerce network or fintech solutions when last reported. The company operates a host of complementary businesses to its core online shop, with shipping solutions (Mercado Envios), a payment and financing operation (Mercado Pago and Mercado Credito), advertisements (Mercado Clics), classifieds, and a turnkey e-commerce solution (Mercado Shops) rounding out its arsenal. MercadoLibre generates revenue from final value fees, advertising royalties, payment processing, insertion fees, subscription fees, and interest income from consumer and small-business lending.

MercadoLibre Inc

MELIA HOTELS INTL ORD by Melia Hotels International SA

Melia Hotels International SA

Melisron Ltd

<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/mercadolibre-invest-58-billion-brazil-this-year-2025-04-07/#:~:text=The%20company%2C%20which%20trades%20on,the%20end%20of%20the%20year" title="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/mercadolibre-invest-58-billion-brazil-this-year-2025-04-07/#:~:text=The%20company%2C%20which%20trades%20on,the%20end%20of%20the%20year">https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/mercadolibre-invest-58-billion-brazil-this-year-2025-04-07/#:~:text=The%20company%2C%20which%20trades%20on,the%20end%20of%20the%20year</a>.

Macro Economic Events

News

Contracts

Global

Economics

MELI

'MercadoLibre To Invest $5.8B In Brazil This Year; Plans To Create About 14,000 Jobs In Brazil This Year, Reaching Over 50,000 Employees In The Country' - Reuters News

WIIM

ABNB

ADNT

APEI

APTV

ATAT

BABA

BKNG

DADA

DECK

New Oriental Education & Technology Group

ELYS

EXPE

FATBB

GROV

HLLY

HSAI

HTHT

Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited - American Depositary Shares

MLCO

MULN

PSNYW

RACE

Sony Group Corporation American Depositary Shares

SONY

STLA

TCOM

WYNN

Shares of companies in the broader consumer discretionary sector are trading lower amid trade war escalations and President Trump's sweeping tariffs, which are leading to a decline in consumer confidence. Some economists also predict that households will experience higher costs of goods as a result of these policies.

On Friday, April 4, 2025, Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest made substantial trades involving several prominent companies including Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>), Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NGM: CRSP), Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BEAM#NASDAQ">BEAM</a>), UiPath Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PATH#NYSE">PATH</a>), Roblox Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RBLX#NYSE">RBLX</a>), MercadoLibre Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>), and Repare Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RPTX#NASDAQ">RPTX</a>).
The COIN Trade
Ark Invest purchased shares of Coinbase Global Inc across multiple ETFs. Ark Invest&#8217;s ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKF#NYSE">ARKF</a>) bought 12,187 shares, while the ARK Innovation ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKK#NYSE">ARKK</a>) and ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKW#NYSE">ARKW</a>) funds added 54,988 and 15,982 shares, respectively.
The total value of the COIN shares bought, calculated from the last closing price of $160.55, amounts to approximately $13.5 million.
The AMZN Trade
Amazon.com Inc also saw significant buying action from Ark Invest. The ARKF, ARKK, and ARK Autonomous Technology &amp; Robotics ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKQ#BATS">ARKQ</a>) funds bought 9,018, 25,528, and 8,408 shares, respectively.
Given Amazon&#8217;s last closing price of $171.0, the total value of the shares bought is approximately $7.4 million.
The CRSP and BEAM Trades
The ARKK fund bought 69,011 shares of CRISPR Therapeutics AG and 142,713 shares of Beam Therapeutics Inc. Based on the last closing prices of $32.65 and $15.2,7, respectively, the total value of the CRSP and BEAM shares bought is approximately $3.5 million.
The PATH Trade
Ark Invest's ARKK sold 448,505 shares of UiPath, while ARKQ sold 147,575 shares. The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKW#NYSE">ARKW</a>) fund sold 323,575 shares, and the ARKF fund sold 434,637 shares.
The RBLX, MELI, and RPTX Trades
Ark Invest sold shares of Roblox Corp. and MercadoLibre Inc. across various ETFs. Additionally, the ARKG fund sold 32,613 shares of Repare Therapeutics Inc, valued at approximately $32,613 based on the last closing price of $1.0.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44652222/trumps-tariffs-may-shift-us-spending-from-goods-to-services-creating-uncertainty-for-ecommerce-and-advertising-industries-analyst-warns">Tariffs To Impact End Demand: Goldman Sachs Analyst Expects Drag On Corporate Spending, Hiring</a> </li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Equities

Markets

Tech

ETFs

AMZN

ARKF

ARKK

ARKQ

ARKW

BEAM

COIN

CRSP

PATH

RBLX

RPTX

Cathie Wood's Ark Invest Loads Up On Amazon Amid Over 20% Decline In A Year: Offloads UiPath, Roblox

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>TSLA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/04/25</td>
<td>$270.00</td>
<td>$26.8K</td>
<td>9.5K</td>
<td>84.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/04/25</td>
<td>$187.50</td>
<td>$45.3K</td>
<td>4.8K</td>
<td>12.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$10.00</td>
<td>$107.5K</td>
<td>5.7K</td>
<td>3.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SBUX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$80.00</td>
<td>$25.4K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
<td>956</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GME</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$85.00</td>
<td>$146.6K</td>
<td>87</td>
<td>540</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WYNN</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$95.00</td>
<td>$1.0 million</td>
<td>819</td>
<td>461</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RH</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/04/25</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$34.7K</td>
<td>350</td>
<td>303</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BABA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/19/25</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$146.2K</td>
<td>559</td>
<td>254</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>04/04/25</td>
<td>$1930.00</td>
<td>$26.2K</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>22</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding TSLA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 1 day(s) on April 4, 2025. Parties traded 49 contract(s) at a $270.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 14 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.8K, with a price of $550.0 per contract. There were 9542 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 84887 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AMZN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 1 day(s) on April 4, 2025. This event was a transfer of 498 contract(s) at a $187.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $45.3K, with a price of $91.0 per contract. There were 4896 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 12545 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For GT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GT#NASDAQ">GT</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 288 day(s) on January 16, 2026. This event was a transfer of 500 contract(s) at a $10.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $107.5K, with a price of $215.0 per contract. There were 5717 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3060 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SBUX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBUX#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 169 day(s) on September 19, 2025. Parties traded 56 contract(s) at a $80.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.4K, with a price of $455.0 per contract. There were 2847 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 956 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For GME (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NYSE">GME</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 288 day(s) on January 16, 2026. This event was a transfer of 23 contract(s) at a $85.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $146.6K, with a price of $6375.0 per contract. There were 87 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 540 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For WYNN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WYNN#NASDAQ">WYNN</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 78 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 461 contract(s) at a $95.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $1.0 million, with a price of $2183.0 per contract. There were 819 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 461 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For RH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RH#NYSE">RH</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 1 day(s) on April 4, 2025. This event was a transfer of 5 contract(s) at a $220.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $34.7K, with a price of $6949.0 per contract. There were 350 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 303 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For BABA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 260 day(s) on December 19, 2025. This event was a transfer of 74 contract(s) at a $135.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 19 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $146.2K, with a price of $1980.0 per contract. There were 559 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 254 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MELI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 1 day(s) on April 4, 2025. This event was a transfer of 20 contract(s) at a $1930.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.2K, with a price of $1310.0 per contract. There were 28 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 22 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

SBUX

TSLA

9 Consumer Discretionary Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) is little changed Thursday. The stock has been in a downtrend, and there is a good chance it will continue to move lower. The stock has broken support around $1,945, and this can be a bearish dynamic.
Our team of technical analysts has made it our Stock of the Day.
Support is a price level or range where there is a significant amount of buy interest. There is as many, or maybe even more, shares to be bought as there are to be sold. This is why downtrends end or pause when they reach support.
You can see on the chart that the $1,945 level was support in early March.
Sometimes stocks reverse and rally after reaching support, like MercadoLibre did then. This happens when some of the buyers who created to support raise their bid prices to get ahead of other buyers. This can lead to a snowball effect as other buyers do the same. This forces the stock higher.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="525" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/03131350/MercadoLibre-1024x525.png" alt="" class="wp-image-856124" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/03131350/MercadoLibre-1024x525.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/03131350/MercadoLibre-300x154.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/03131350/MercadoLibre-768x394.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/03131350/MercadoLibre-1536x787.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/03131350/MercadoLibre.png 1617w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44630931/commerce-secretary-lutnick-says-us-markets-will-perform-extremely-well-long-term-despite-trump-tariff-selloff">Commerce Secretary Lutnick Says US Markets Will Perform &#8216;Extremely Well&#8217; Long Term Despite Trump Tariff Selloff</a>
But sometimes when a stock reaches support, the sellers eventually overpower the buyers and push the price lower. When this happens, traders say the support has ‘broken.' This just happened with MercadoLibre.
This isn't merely symbolic. It illustrates an important dynamic. It shows that the traders and investors who created the support with their buy orders have either finished or canceled them.
With this large amount of demand taken out of the market, the stage could be set for a move lower. People who wish to sell will be forced to be aggressive and push the stock down if they want to draw buyers back into the market.
If MercadoLibre trends lower, there is a good chance the next support level will be around the $1,800 level. This level was support in January, and there tends to be support at levels that previously had been support.
There are people who sold their shares at the support that regretted doing so when the price rallied after. Some of them vowed to buy their shares back if they could eventually get them at the same price they were sold.
So, if the stock reaches the $1,800 level they will place buy orders. If there are enough of them, it will create support at the level again.
At this point, some traders would consider buying. They will be expecting a rally off the support.
Read Next: • <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/04/44626421/trumps-reign-of-tariffs-unleashes-d-day-on-wall-street-analyst-warns-of-stagflation-risk">Trump&#8217;s &#8216;Reign Of Tariffs&#8217; Unleashes &#8216;D-Day On Wall Street,&#8217; Analyst Warns Of Stagflation Risk</a>
Photo: T. Schneider via Shutterstock

Technicals

Trading Ideas

Stock Of The Day: Where Will The MercadoLibre Sell-Off End?

Financial giants have made a conspicuous bearish move on MercadoLibre. Our analysis of options history for MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) revealed 30 unusual trades.
Delving into the details, we found 33% of traders were bullish, while 56% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 15 were puts, with a value of $952,123, and 15 were calls, valued at $2,148,949.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $1320.0 and $2500.0 for MercadoLibre, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
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 MercadoLibre's 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 MercadoLibre's whale activity within a strike price range from $1320.0 to $2500.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>MercadoLibre Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1743189338_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th align="right">Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$528.0</td>
<td>$510.0</td>
<td>$516.0</td>
<td>$2000.00</td>
<td>$1.5M</td>
<td align="right">92</td>
<td align="right">30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$93.8</td>
<td>$84.4</td>
<td>$90.0</td>
<td>$2100.00</td>
<td>$243.0K</td>
<td align="right">91</td>
<td align="right">29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$126.8</td>
<td>$117.5</td>
<td>$120.2</td>
<td>$2000.00</td>
<td>$192.3K</td>
<td align="right">117</td>
<td align="right">16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/28/25</td>
<td>$18.4</td>
<td>$9.6</td>
<td>$9.6</td>
<td>$2050.00</td>
<td>$134.4K</td>
<td align="right">212</td>
<td align="right">170</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/28/25</td>
<td>$772.8</td>
<td>$758.6</td>
<td>$772.8</td>
<td>$1320.00</td>
<td>$77.2K</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About MercadoLibre</h3>
MercadoLibre runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America, with more than 218 million active users and 1 million active sellers across 18 countries stitching into its commerce network or fintech solutions when last reported. The company operates a host of complementary businesses to its core online shop, with shipping solutions (Mercado Envios), a payment and financing operation (Mercado Pago and Mercado Credito), advertisements (Mercado Clics), classifieds, and a turnkey e-commerce solution (Mercado Shops) rounding out its arsenal. MercadoLibre generates revenue from final value fees, advertising royalties, payment processing, insertion fees, subscription fees, and interest income from consumer and small-business lending.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with MercadoLibre, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Where Is MercadoLibre Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 170,672, the price of MELI is down -2.16% at $2050.6. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 34 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About MercadoLibre</h3>
In the last month, 1 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $2750.0.
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. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Goldman Sachs persists with their Buy rating on MercadoLibre, maintaining a target price of $2750. 
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for MercadoLibre with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Spotlight on MercadoLibre: Analyzing the Surge in Options Activity

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 16.75% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 33.89%. Currently, MercadoLibre has a market capitalization of $106.58 billion. 
Buying $100 In MELI: If an investor had bought $100 of MELI stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $444.20 today based on a price of $2102.38 for MELI at the time of writing.
<h3>MercadoLibre's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1743093908_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

If You Invested $100 In This Stock 5 Years Ago, You Would Have This Much Today

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MELI, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 14 uncommon options trades for MercadoLibre.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 35% bullish and 42%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $270,550, and 10 are calls, for a total amount of $498,879.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $1500.0 to $2240.0 for MercadoLibre over the recent three months. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in MercadoLibre's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to MercadoLibre's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $1500.0 to $2240.0 over the preceding 30 days.
<h3>MercadoLibre Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1742914863_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th align="right">Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$49.0</td>
<td>$40.9</td>
<td>$47.1</td>
<td>$2100.00</td>
<td>$127.1K</td>
<td align="right">52</td>
<td align="right">29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$152.5</td>
<td>$147.4</td>
<td>$147.4</td>
<td>$2150.00</td>
<td>$117.9K</td>
<td align="right">4</td>
<td align="right">8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$219.7</td>
<td>$211.5</td>
<td>$218.0</td>
<td>$2110.00</td>
<td>$109.0K</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
<td align="right">45</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$176.4</td>
<td>$174.7</td>
<td>$174.7</td>
<td>$1960.00</td>
<td>$69.8K</td>
<td align="right">17</td>
<td align="right">4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/28/25</td>
<td>$45.0</td>
<td>$35.2</td>
<td>$45.0</td>
<td>$2180.00</td>
<td>$45.0K</td>
<td align="right">6</td>
<td align="right">10</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About MercadoLibre</h3>
MercadoLibre runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America, with more than 218 million active users and 1 million active sellers across 18 countries stitching into its commerce network or fintech solutions when last reported. The company operates a host of complementary businesses to its core online shop, with shipping solutions (Mercado Envios), a payment and financing operation (Mercado Pago and Mercado Credito), advertisements (Mercado Clics), classifieds, and a turnkey e-commerce solution (Mercado Shops) rounding out its arsenal. MercadoLibre generates revenue from final value fees, advertising royalties, payment processing, insertion fees, subscription fees, and interest income from consumer and small-business lending.
Having examined the options trading patterns of MercadoLibre, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
<h3>Present Market Standing of MercadoLibre</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 58,046, the MELI's price is up by 2.33%, now at $2184.14. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 37 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on MercadoLibre</h3>
In the last month, 2 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $2525.0.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Goldman Sachs keeps a Buy rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2750. 
&#x2A; An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on MercadoLibre, which currently sits at a price target of $2300. 
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for MercadoLibre with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Smart Money Is Betting Big In MELI Options

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in MELI usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 13 extraordinary options activities for MercadoLibre. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 30% leaning bullish and 69% bearish. Among these notable options, 7 are puts, totaling $308,645, and 6 are calls, amounting to $295,537.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $1650.0 to $2400.0 for MercadoLibre over the recent three months. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
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 MercadoLibre's 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 MercadoLibre's whale activity within a strike price range from $1650.0 to $2400.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>MercadoLibre 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1742305532_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th align="right">Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$101.9</td>
<td>$86.1</td>
<td>$92.59</td>
<td>$2100.00</td>
<td>$85.5K</td>
<td align="right">27</td>
<td align="right">17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$91.9</td>
<td>$76.6</td>
<td>$81.81</td>
<td>$2100.00</td>
<td>$76.0K</td>
<td align="right">24</td>
<td align="right">8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/11/25</td>
<td>$126.4</td>
<td>$112.1</td>
<td>$117.73</td>
<td>$2000.00</td>
<td>$58.8K</td>
<td align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$102.0</td>
<td>$85.1</td>
<td>$102.0</td>
<td>$2100.00</td>
<td>$57.6K</td>
<td align="right">27</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$92.0</td>
<td>$76.0</td>
<td>$92.0</td>
<td>$2100.00</td>
<td>$51.7K</td>
<td align="right">24</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About MercadoLibre</h3>
MercadoLibre runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America, with more than 218 million active users and 1 million active sellers across 18 countries stitching into its commerce network or fintech solutions when last reported. The company operates a host of complementary businesses to its core online shop, with shipping solutions (Mercado Envios), a payment and financing operation (Mercado Pago and Mercado Credito), advertisements (Mercado Clics), classifieds, and a turnkey e-commerce solution (Mercado Shops) rounding out its arsenal. MercadoLibre generates revenue from final value fees, advertising royalties, payment processing, insertion fees, subscription fees, and interest income from consumer and small-business lending.
In light of the recent options history for MercadoLibre, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
<h3>MercadoLibre's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 4,330, with MELI's price down by -0.62%, positioned at $2093.51.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 44 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About MercadoLibre</h3>
A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $2662.0.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Goldman Sachs keeps a Buy rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2750. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Neutral rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2300. 
&#x2A; An analyst from B of A Securities persists with their Buy rating on MercadoLibre, maintaining a target price of $3000. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Susquehanna keeps a Positive rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2760. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on MercadoLibre, which currently sits at a price target of $2500. 
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest MercadoLibre options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>.

MercadoLibre Options Trading: A Deep Dive into Market Sentiment

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MELI, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 14 uncommon options trades for MercadoLibre.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 28% bullish and 71%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $180,950, and 11 are calls, for a total amount of $2,452,671.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $1470.0 to $2680.0 for MercadoLibre over the recent three months. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
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 MercadoLibre's 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 MercadoLibre's whale activity within a strike price range from $1470.0 to $2680.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>MercadoLibre Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1741787173_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th align="right">Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$41.9</td>
<td>$27.0</td>
<td>$40.71</td>
<td>$2050.00</td>
<td>$916.1K</td>
<td align="right">60</td>
<td align="right">622</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$35.2</td>
<td>$27.1</td>
<td>$27.1</td>
<td>$2050.00</td>
<td>$550.7K</td>
<td align="right">60</td>
<td align="right">827</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$36.0</td>
<td>$19.8</td>
<td>$30.26</td>
<td>$2050.00</td>
<td>$349.9K</td>
<td align="right">60</td>
<td align="right">201</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$34.0</td>
<td>$33.7</td>
<td>$33.7</td>
<td>$2050.00</td>
<td>$314.2K</td>
<td align="right">60</td>
<td align="right">51</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$128.6</td>
<td>$126.5</td>
<td>$128.6</td>
<td>$1920.00</td>
<td>$64.3K</td>
<td align="right">45</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About MercadoLibre</h3>
MercadoLibre runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America, with more than 218 million active users and 1 million active sellers across 18 countries stitching into its commerce network or fintech solutions when last reported. The company operates a host of complementary businesses to its core online shop, with shipping solutions (Mercado Envios), a payment and financing operation (Mercado Pago and Mercado Credito), advertisements (Mercado Clics), classifieds, and a turnkey e-commerce solution (Mercado Shops) rounding out its arsenal. MercadoLibre generates revenue from final value fees, advertising royalties, payment processing, insertion fees, subscription fees, and interest income from consumer and small-business lending.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with MercadoLibre, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Where Is MercadoLibre Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 15,261, the price of MELI is up 0.87% at $2007.51. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 50 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About MercadoLibre</h3>
In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $2710.0.
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. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald persists with their Overweight rating on MercadoLibre, maintaining a target price of $3000. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Overweight rating for MercadoLibre, targeting a price of $2500. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Neutral rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2300. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from B of A Securities keeps a Buy rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $3000. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Goldman Sachs persists with their Buy rating on MercadoLibre, maintaining a target price of $2750. 
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for MercadoLibre with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

What the Options Market Tells Us About MercadoLibre

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 15 years by 17.07% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 28.34%. Currently, MercadoLibre has a market capitalization of $104.17 billion. 
Buying $100 In MELI: If an investor had bought $100 of MELI stock 15 years ago, it would be worth $4,350.31 today based on a price of $2054.73 for MELI at the time of writing.
<h3>MercadoLibre's Performance Over Last 15 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1741293017_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

$100 Invested In This Stock 15 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Consumer Discretionary sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>TSLA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/07/25</td>
<td>$260.00</td>
<td>$41.7K</td>
<td>11.5K</td>
<td>63.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$210.00</td>
<td>$25.0K</td>
<td>2.5K</td>
<td>7.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CVNA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/14/25</td>
<td>$255.00</td>
<td>$63.8K</td>
<td>6.1K</td>
<td>4.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$28.00</td>
<td>$54.7K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BABA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/07/25</td>
<td>$131.00</td>
<td>$41.9K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BOOT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$110.00</td>
<td>$62.0K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>300</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ROST</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$145.00</td>
<td>$25.3K</td>
<td>385</td>
<td>111</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EAT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/17/25</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$30.6K</td>
<td>323</td>
<td>37</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BKNG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$4850.00</td>
<td>$99.0K</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$2340.00</td>
<td>$59.7K</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding TSLA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), we observe a put option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 3 day(s) on March 7, 2025. Parties traded 75 contract(s) at a $260.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $41.7K, with a price of $557.0 per contract. There were 11559 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 63919 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AMZN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 10 day(s) on March 14, 2025. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $210.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.0K, with a price of $250.0 per contract. There were 2527 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 7354 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CVNA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 10 day(s) on March 14, 2025. This event was a transfer of 998 contract(s) at a $255.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $63.8K, with a price of $64.0 per contract. There were 6115 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4245 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For LI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LI#NASDAQ">LI</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 17 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 262 contract(s) at a $28.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $54.7K, with a price of $209.0 per contract. There were 3660 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2454 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding BABA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 3 day(s) on March 7, 2025. Parties traded 140 contract(s) at a $131.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 8 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $41.9K, with a price of $305.0 per contract. There were 1385 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1022 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding BOOT (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BOOT#NYSE">BOOT</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 17 day(s) on March 21, 2025. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $110.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 23 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $62.0K, with a price of $620.0 per contract. There were 0 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 300 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ROST (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 17 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 23 contract(s) at a $145.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.3K, with a price of $1100.0 per contract. There were 385 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 111 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For EAT (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EAT#NYSE">EAT</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 44 day(s) on April 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 21 contract(s) at a $150.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $30.6K, with a price of $1460.0 per contract. There were 323 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 37 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding BKNG (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BKNG#NASDAQ">BKNG</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 199 day(s) on September 19, 2025. Parties traded 2 contract(s) at a $4850.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $99.0K, with a price of $49500.0 per contract. There were 1 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 6 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MELI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 318 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 3 contract(s) at a $2340.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $59.7K, with a price of $19900.0 per contract. There were 6 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

BOOT

CVNA

ROST

10 Consumer Discretionary Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session

Goldman Sachs analyst Irma Sgarz maintains MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $2400 to $2750.

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

Goldman Sachs Maintains Buy on MercadoLibre, Raises Price Target to $2750

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MELI, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 17 uncommon options trades for MercadoLibre.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 52% bullish and 35%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 9 are puts, for a total amount of $1,443,618, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $298,953.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $1790.0 to $2500.0 for MercadoLibre over the recent three months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for MercadoLibre's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across MercadoLibre's significant trades, within a strike price range of $1790.0 to $2500.0, over the past month.
<h3>MercadoLibre Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740755752_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th align="right">Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$119.0</td>
<td>$115.0</td>
<td>$115.0</td>
<td>$2000.00</td>
<td>$977.5K</td>
<td align="right">152</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$145.8</td>
<td>$142.0</td>
<td>$142.0</td>
<td>$2220.00</td>
<td>$213.0K</td>
<td align="right">35</td>
<td align="right">15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/28/25</td>
<td>$114.6</td>
<td>$99.6</td>
<td>$105.0</td>
<td>$2170.00</td>
<td>$52.5K</td>
<td align="right">27</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/18/26</td>
<td>$505.1</td>
<td>$496.1</td>
<td>$505.1</td>
<td>$1900.00</td>
<td>$50.5K</td>
<td align="right">23</td>
<td align="right">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/07/25</td>
<td>$65.0</td>
<td>$61.1</td>
<td>$65.0</td>
<td>$2070.00</td>
<td>$45.5K</td>
<td align="right">10</td>
<td align="right">18</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About MercadoLibre</h3>
MercadoLibre runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America, with more than 218 million active users and 1 million active sellers across 18 countries stitching into its commerce network or fintech solutions when last reported. The company operates a host of complementary businesses to its core online shop, with shipping solutions (Mercado Envios), a payment and financing operation (Mercado Pago and Mercado Credito), advertisements (Mercado Clics), classifieds, and a turnkey e-commerce solution (Mercado Shops) rounding out its arsenal. MercadoLibre generates revenue from final value fees, advertising royalties, payment processing, insertion fees, subscription fees, and interest income from consumer and small-business lending.
Having examined the options trading patterns of MercadoLibre, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
<h3>Present Market Standing of MercadoLibre</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 55,603, the price of MELI is down -1.31% at $2101.99. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 62 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for MercadoLibre</h3>
5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $2712.0.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Neutral rating on MercadoLibre, which currently sits at a price target of $2300. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald persists with their Overweight rating on MercadoLibre, maintaining a target price of $3000. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Susquehanna keeps a Positive rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2760. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Barclays keeps a Overweight rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2500. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from B of A Securities continues to hold a Buy rating for MercadoLibre, targeting a price of $3000. 
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for MercadoLibre with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

MercadoLibre's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NYSE">MELI</a>) short percent of float has fallen 12.14% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 634 thousand shares sold short, which is 1.52% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 2.08 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>MercadoLibre Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740578418_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for MercadoLibre has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing MercadoLibre's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, MercadoLibre's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 10.40%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

What Does the Market Think About MercadoLibre?

JP Morgan analyst Marcelo Santos maintains MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $1950 to $2300.

JP Morgan Maintains Neutral on MercadoLibre, Raises Price Target to $2300

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MELI, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 60 uncommon options trades for MercadoLibre.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 43% bullish and 36%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 9 are puts, for a total amount of $617,590, and 51 are calls, for a total amount of $3,453,759.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $1500.0 and $3100.0 for MercadoLibre, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for MercadoLibre options trades today is 82.58 with a total volume of 131.00.
In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for MercadoLibre's big money trades within a strike price range of $1500.0 to $3100.0 over the last 30 days.
<h3>MercadoLibre Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1740415530_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th align="right">Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$487.9</td>
<td>$474.0</td>
<td>$474.0</td>
<td>$1980.00</td>
<td>$237.7K</td>
<td align="right">21</td>
<td align="right">5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/28/25</td>
<td>$234.0</td>
<td>$226.9</td>
<td>$234.0</td>
<td>$2000.00</td>
<td>$234.0K</td>
<td align="right">17</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$258.0</td>
<td>$252.0</td>
<td>$258.0</td>
<td>$2500.00</td>
<td>$232.2K</td>
<td align="right">291</td>
<td align="right">3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$746.5</td>
<td>$742.3</td>
<td>$746.5</td>
<td>$1500.00</td>
<td>$223.9K</td>
<td align="right">17</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$413.5</td>
<td>$398.0</td>
<td>$410.73</td>
<td>$2100.00</td>
<td>$205.3K</td>
<td align="right">83</td>
<td align="right">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About MercadoLibre</h3>
MercadoLibre runs the largest e-commerce marketplace in Latin America, with more than 218 million active users and 1 million active sellers across 18 countries stitching into its commerce network or fintech solutions as of the end of 2023. The company operates a host of complementary businesses to its core online shop, with shipping solutions (Mercado Envios), a payment and financing operation (Mercado Pago and Mercado Credito), advertisements (Mercado Clics), classifieds, and a turnkey e-commerce solution (Mercado Shops) rounding out its arsenal. MercadoLibre generates revenue from final value fees, advertising royalties, payment processing, insertion fees, subscription fees, and interest income from consumer and small-business lending.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with MercadoLibre, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Where Is MercadoLibre Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a trading volume of 220,814, the price of MELI is down by -0.62%, reaching $2245.99.</li>
<li>Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings report is scheduled for 66 days from now.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on MercadoLibre</h3>
4 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $2815.0.
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. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from B of A Securities continues to hold a Buy rating for MercadoLibre, targeting a price of $3000. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on MercadoLibre, which currently sits at a price target of $2500. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on MercadoLibre, which currently sits at a price target of $3000. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Susquehanna keeps a Positive rating on MercadoLibre with a target price of $2760. 
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 MercadoLibre, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Behind the Scenes of MercadoLibre's Latest Options Trends

On Friday, Cathie Wood-led Ark Invest made significant trades involving Beam Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BEAM#NASDAQ">BEAM</a>), Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>), MercadoLibre Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>), and Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADPT#NASDAQ">ADPT</a>).
The BEAM Trade
Ark Invest, through its ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKG#BATS">ARKG</a>) and ARK Innovation ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKK#NYSE">ARKK</a>), bought a total of 24,640 shares of Beam Therapeutics.
This comes after the firm&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43755344/cathie-woods-ark-invest-loads-up-on-iridium-twist-bioscience-offloads-roku-here-are-key-ark-trades-this-friday">previous acquisition</a> of Beam Therapeutics shares just a week prior. The value of this trade, calculated from the latest closing price is nearly $750,000.
The NU Trade
Ark Invest, through its ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKF#NYSE">ARKF</a>), bought 162,143 shares of Nu Holdings Ltd. This marks a significant investment in the fintech company, reflecting Ark&#8217;s strategic positioning in the dynamic tech sector.
The value of this trade, calculated from the latest closing price is over $1.75 million.
The MELI and ADPT Trades
On the same day, Ark Invest also sold shares of MercadoLibre Inc and Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. Through its ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, Ark sold 347 shares of MercadoLibre.
Meanwhile, through its ARK Genomic Revolution ETF, Ark offloaded 8,129 shares of Adaptive Biotechnologies.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43900360/bill-gates-has-a-warning-for-the-next-generation-says-be-very-afraid-of-these-4-issues">Bill Gates Has A Warning For The Next Generation, Says Be ‘Very Afraid&#8217; Of These 4 Issues</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Ark Invest

ADPT

ARKG

Cathie Wood's Ark Invest Loads Up On Beam Therapeutics, Nu Holdings: Offloads MercadoLibre, Adaptive Biotechnologies

All three major U.S. stock indices are down Friday as traders reacted to several sets of fresh data that raised concerns about<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43877634/us-stocks-fluctuate-in-preopen-volatility-doesnt-equal-financial-loss-unless-you-sell-says-expert"> the economic outlook.&nbsp;</a>
The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to 64.7 in January, a decline of 10% and a steeper drop than expected. The 5-year inflation outlook in the survey is the highest since 1995 at 3.5% 
Existing home sales sank by 4.9% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.08 million in January, the sharpest decline in seven months, according to Trading Economics.&nbsp;
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43884153/us-services-drop-sharply-darkening-picture-of-high-prices-uncertainty-economist-says">US Services Drop Sharply: &#8216;Darkening Picture&#8217; Of High Prices, Uncertainty, Economist Says</a>
February's flash S&amp;P Global PMIs released <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43884153/us-services-drop-sharply-darkening-picture-of-high-prices-uncertainty-economist-says">Friday morning </a>revealed a sharp, unexpected drop in services and raised concerns about the health of the private sector.&nbsp;
"The upbeat mood seen among US businesses at the start of the year has evaporated, replaced with a darkening picture of heightened uncertainty, stalling business activity and rising prices," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence.&nbsp;
Natural gas futures rose another 4.5% Friday to $4.3/MMBtu, hitting a 25-month high as cold weather increased heating demand and disrupted production. The United States Natural Gas Fund LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNG#NYSE">UNG</a>), tracking the daily price movements of natural gas futures contracts, climbed 3.2%.&nbsp;
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) was volatile as crypto markets reacted to a $1.4 billion Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) hack targeting Bybit&#8217;s cold wallet, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43886224/bybit-founder-confirms-1-4-billion-ethereum-hack-blames-masked-transaction">one of the largest</a> security breaches in recent history.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friday's Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1 day % chg.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>19,753.44</td>
<td>-1.05%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>6,069.73</td>
<td>-0.78%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>43,739.57</td>
<td>-0.99%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,231.48</td>
<td>-1.34%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friday's Stock Movers:&nbsp;</h2>
Shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>) slumped nearly 9% after the Wall Street Journal reported the Department of Justice launched an investigation into the company&#8217;s Medicare billing practices.
Stocks reacting to company earnings reports included:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEI#NYSE">SEI</a>) </li>
<li>Iamgold Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IAG#NYSE">IAG</a>) </li>
<li>Celsius Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CELH#NASDAQ">CELH</a>) </li>
<li>Glaukos Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GKOS#NYSE">GKOS</a>) </li>
<li>MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) </li>
<li>The RealReal, Inc. (NASADQ:REAL) </li>
<li>Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>)</li>
<li>Globant S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLOB#NYSE">GLOB</a>) </li>
<li>Block, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>) </li>
<li>Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) </li>
</ul>
Companies reporting on Monday included:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Domino&#8217;s Pizza Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DPZ#NASDAQ">DPZ</a>) </li>
<li>Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZM#NASDAQ">ZM</a>) </li>
<li>Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FANG#NASDAQ">FANG</a>) </li>
<li>Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KOS#NYSE">KOS</a>) </li>
<li>Summit Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMMT#NASDAQ">SMMT</a>) </li>
<li>Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOV#NYSE">HOV</a>) </li>
</ul>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch"> Trump Administration Orders Sweeping Pentagon Cuts: Palantir, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Among Stocks On Watch</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Market Summary

Sector ETFs

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Econ #s

Movers

General

Real Estate

$BTC

$ETH

CELH

FANG

GKOS

GLOB

REAL

RIVN

SMMT

Consumer Sentiment Drops 10%, UnitedHealth Under Investigation: What's Driving Markets Friday?

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>BABA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/28/25</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$26.9K</td>
<td>5.4K</td>
<td>16.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PDD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/28/25</td>
<td>$141.00</td>
<td>$81.2K</td>
<td>580</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FND</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$85.00</td>
<td>$120.0K</td>
<td>336</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MODG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$7.50</td>
<td>$54.0K</td>
<td>164</td>
<td>713</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LOW</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$245.00</td>
<td>$34.1K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
<td>468</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSLA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$700.00</td>
<td>$63.7K</td>
<td>4.5K</td>
<td>315</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MELI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$2500.00</td>
<td>$25.2K</td>
<td>39</td>
<td>272</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$40.00</td>
<td>$28.5K</td>
<td>3.4K</td>
<td>174</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SFIX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$3.00</td>
<td>$27.8K</td>
<td>445</td>
<td>105</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NKE</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$85.00</td>
<td>$27.5K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
<td>72</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding BABA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on February 28, 2025. Parties traded 106 contract(s) at a $150.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $26.9K, with a price of $254.0 per contract. There were 5458 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 16646 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding PDD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on February 28, 2025. Parties traded 700 contract(s) at a $141.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $81.2K, with a price of $116.0 per contract. There were 580 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1118 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For FND (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FND#NYSE">FND</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 84 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 300 contract(s) at a $85.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 26 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $120.0K, with a price of $400.0 per contract. There were 336 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1118 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MODG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MODG#NYSE">MODG</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be neutral, expiring in 175 day(s) on August 15, 2025. This event was a transfer of 373 contract(s) at a $7.50 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $54.0K, with a price of $145.0 per contract. There were 164 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 713 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For LOW (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOW#NYSE">LOW</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, is expiring today. Parties traded 99 contract(s) at a $245.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 9 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $34.1K, with a price of $345.0 per contract. There were 1684 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 468 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding TSLA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 175 day(s) on August 15, 2025. Parties traded 148 contract(s) at a $700.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $63.7K, with a price of $431.0 per contract. There were 4552 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 315 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MELI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>), we observe a call option trade with neutral sentiment. It expires in 329 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 1 contract(s) at a $2500.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.2K, with a price of $25240.0 per contract. There were 39 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 272 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For JD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JD#NASDAQ">JD</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 84 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 50 contract(s) at a $40.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.5K, with a price of $573.0 per contract. There were 3414 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 174 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SFIX (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFIX#NASDAQ">SFIX</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 329 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 105 contract(s) at a $3.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.8K, with a price of $265.0 per contract. There were 445 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 105 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For NKE (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NKE#NYSE">NKE</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 28 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 30 contract(s) at a $85.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.5K, with a price of $915.0 per contract. There were 3668 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 72 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

MODG

Citigourp Global Markets 2% Protected Notes Linked To The Djia

SFIX

10 Consumer Discretionary Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

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Alibaba Gr Hldgs

Baozun

Coupang

Dillard's

1stdibs.com

eBay

Etsy

Global E Online

Groupon

D-Market Electronic Services & Trading - American Depositary Shares

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JD.com, Inc. - American Depositary Shares

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Jumia Technologies AG American Depositary Shares, each representing two Ordinary Shares

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Kohl's

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MINISO Group Holding Limited American Depositary Shares, each representing four Ordinary Shares

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Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. - Common Stock

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PDD Holdings Inc. - American Depositary Shares

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Savers Value Village

Vipshop Holdings Limited American Depositary Shares, each representing two ordinary shares

Comments

MercadoLibre

Unusual Options Activity for

Notizie

PARTNER/COLLABORATORE

BENZINGA NEL MONDO

Date	Put/Call	Strike Price	Exp Date	DTE	Trade Vol	Day Vol	Vol / OI	OI	Trade Type	Sentiment
03:08 PMFeb 20, 2025	CALL	$1700.00	Jan 15, 2027	646	0	7	0	20	TRADE	BULLISH
12:44 PMFeb 20, 2025	CALL	$2000.00	Feb 21, 2025	-47	109	75	39	283	TRADE	NEUTRAL