Significant options trading activity was recorded for three Russell 3000 components on March 27, 2026, with Coursera Inc., Unity Software Inc., and Occidental Petroleum Corp. drawing notable attention from derivatives traders. Data from StockOptionsChannel.com, cited by market news provider BNK Invest, showed volumes representing substantial percentages of each stock’s average daily trading.
Spotlight on Coursera Call Options
Coursera (NYSE: COUR) saw 29,687 options contracts trade, equivalent to roughly 3.0 million underlying shares. This volume accounted for 68.5% of the online education platform’s average daily trading volume over the past month. A specific call option contract was particularly active.
The $7 strike call option expiring on May 15, 2026, saw 24,065 contracts change hands. This activity represented approximately 2.4 million underlying shares of Coursera. The high volume in this out-of-the-money call suggests traders are positioning for potential upward movement in the stock price over the next several weeks.
Unity Software Options Activity
Options for Unity Software (NYSE: U) also saw elevated trading. Total volume reached 92,010 contracts, representing about 9.2 million underlying shares. This figure equated to 67.1% of Unity’s average daily share volume.
Within this activity, the $22 strike call option expiring April 2, 2026, stood out with 9,161 contracts traded. This near-term contract represented exposure to roughly 916,100 underlying shares of the real-time 3D development platform company.
Occidental Petroleum’s Heavy Volume
Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) recorded the highest raw contract volume of the three. Traders executed 141,747 options contracts, equivalent to about 14.2 million underlying shares of the energy company. This volume worked out to a sizable 65.1% of OXY’s average daily trading volume.
A specific call option expiring on the same day, March 27, 2026, saw concentrated action. The $63 strike call traded 8,484 contracts, representing approximately 848,400 underlying shares of Occidental Petroleum. The activity in this at-the-money, same-day expiry contract often indicates last-minute positioning or hedging ahead of the market close.
Understanding Unusual Options Activity
Market analysts often monitor unusual options volume as an indicator of institutional or informed trader sentiment. High volume in call options, particularly at specific strike prices, can signal expectations for a stock to move higher before the contract’s expiration. However, such activity can also represent complex multi-leg strategies or hedging, not solely directional bets.
The data for this activity was sourced from BNK Invest’s market analysis platforms. BNK Invest operates a family of financial news websites including StockOptionsChannel.com, which provides tools and data for options traders.
For detailed information on available expiration dates for COUR, U, or OXY options, traders can visit StockOptionsChannel.com. Investors can also review official options data on the SEC’s Division of Economic and Risk Analysis website.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality.
