$GILD option bulls score

Bullish option traders are racking up healthy gains in upside positions in Gilead Sciences (GILD)

On Sep. 27, Market Rebellion’s Unusual Option Activity Service found that 10,000 November $90 calls were bought for $1.22 to $1.27 with shares at $84.25. This was clearly fresh buying, as open interest in the contract was just 1,620 before the activity appeared.

Those calls traded for as much as $8.43 today, a 563.78% return, while the stock rose 16.66% in the same time period, underscoring how options can far outperform their underlying shares.

Long calls lock in the price where investors can buy a stock, letting them position for a rally at limited cost with the potential for significant leverage. They carry less risk than owning shares because the most that can be lost is the price of the options no matter how far the stock might fall.

GILD is up 6.19% to $97.37 this afternoon.