$MNST call prices triple

Option traders racked up exponential profits today on bullish positions opened in Monster Beverage Corp (MNST) only one session earlier.

Just Friday, on Aug. 12, Market Rebellion’s Unusual Option Activity Service found that 3,000 August $92 calls were bought for $0.33 with shares at $89.34. This was clearly fresh buying, as open interest in the contract was just 19 before the activity appeared.

Those calls traded for as much as $1.15 this session, over 3 times their purchase price. The stock gained 2.94% at the same time, a large move but nowhere near that of its options on a relative basis.

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.

MNST was last higher on the day by 1.97% at $91.79.