This episode of The Hot Options Report tackles a high-stakes “Fed Day” session as the market navigates a steady policy hold and a massive wave of “Mag 7” earnings. Host Mark Longo breaks down the top 10 most active names, tracking the wild after-hours divergence between Meta’s moonshot and Microsoft’s retreat, as well as the parabolic move in Micron and Intel’s roaring recovery.
Fed Day & Earnings Chaos: The Tale of Two Tapes
Despite a light start to the session as traders kept their “powder dry” for the FOMC announcement, the afternoon transformed into an earnings battleground. The Fed maintained interest rates at 3.50% to 3.75%, but the real volatility was found in the tech sector’s after-hours reactions.
The Top 10 Options Breakdown
| Rank | Ticker | Volume | Key “Hot Option” | Notable Move |
| 1 | NVDA | 1.92M | 192.5 Calls (Exp. Friday) | Gained $3.00 to close at $191.52. |
| 2 | INTC | 1.37M | 50 Calls | Surged 11% ($4.85) to close at $48.78. |
| 3 | TSLA | 1.21M | 450 Calls | Rallying $13.60 after-hours to $444. |
| 4 | PLTR | 641K | 170 Calls | Sold off 5% ($8.35) to close at $157.33. |
| 5 | AMZN | 593K | 245 Calls | Dipped $1.67 to close at $243.00. |
| 6 | MU | 570K | 450 Calls | Exploded 6% ($25.00) to close at $435.28. |
| 7 | MSFT | 524K | 500 Calls | Dropping $23.00 after-hours to $458. |
| 8 | META | 521K | 700 Calls | Surging $62.00 after-hours to $731. |
| 9 | AAPL | 461K | 270 Calls | Slipped $1.83 to close at $256.44. |
| 10 | NFLX | 433K | 86 Calls | Fell 1% ($0.84) to close at $84.64. |
Highlights from the Tape
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Meta vs. Microsoft: A dramatic split in AI sentiment. Meta is soaring over $730 in the after-hours, making those $11 premium 700 calls look like a steal. Meanwhile, Microsoft is “circling the bowl” despite beating estimates, dropping nearly $23 after-hours as investors weigh heavy AI capex.
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Micron’s Moonshot: MU continues an absolute tear, up 38% year-to-date and another $25 today. The 450 calls are the target for those betting the AI hardware frenzy isn’t over.
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Intel’s Revenge: After a brutal post-earnings drubbing, INTC roared back with an 11% gain, fueled by reports of foundry partnerships with Nvidia and Apple.
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Nvidia Holds the Crown: NVDA remains the volume king with nearly 2 million contracts. Traders were heavy in the 192.5 calls, looking for a break of the intraday highs.