Unusual Options Activity & Dark Pool Volumes on New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (EDU)

Today, among the underlying components of the NYSE, we saw noteworthy dark pool trading on New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (EDU) which opened today at $2.20.

This morning there was significant volume on New Oriental Education, with 1,450,465 shares traded. EDU's last sale was 41.7% of the target price of $5.3.

There was noteworthy dark pool volume of 21,442,670 units on August 25th, highlighted below.

New Oriental Education’s historical price, in blue, since July 20th, 2021, and its requisite dark pool volumes seen in gray.

In the last three months, EDU has declined over 80% due to the Chinese government's abrupt crackdown on the entire sector.

Seen below in the options order flow, we saw unusual options activity yesterday that resulted in the highest volume day in over two months. EDU’s average three day call volume is 22,300, compared to yesterday’s volume of 137,598.

Per the chart below, there was 137,598 call volume yesterday, August 30th, as compared to the high around June 23rd of 302,411 call volume. Open interest, seen in yellow, has remained at a mean of 1,214,576 as of yesterday’s close.

Seen above, EDU's price in blue, open interest in yellow, call volume in green, and put volume in red.

Unusual Options Activity & Dark Pool Volumes on Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (ZM)

In the market capitalization-weighted index NASDAQ Global Select Market Composite (NasdaqGS), we saw unusual or noteworthy dark pool trading volume and activity today on Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (ZM), which opened today at $294.00.

This order comes just after yesterday’s earnings report, where it was reported ZM’s “free cash flow was $455 million, up from $373 million in Q2 of last year” and that “non-GAAP operating income to be in the range of $340 million to $345 million.”

There was noteworthy dark pool volume of 1,613,668 units today, August 31st.

Zoom Video Communication's historical price, in blue, since July 20th, 2021, and its requisite dark pool volumes seen in gray.

Furthermore, we saw unusual options activity in the option order flow, in spite of Zoom’s price decreasing to $290.68 at the time of this writing, from yesterday’s close of $347.50.

Per the chart below, there was a regional high of 117,193 call volume, represented in green, on August 26th, 2021; however, as can be seen, today’s volume has reached a new high at 194,795. Open interest, in yellow, has increased to 462,076 as of yesterday’s close. At the time of this writing, volume of calls are now at 62.1% compared to puts at 37.9%; call premium is 53.2% and put premium is 46.8%.

Seen above, ZM's price in blue, open interest in yellow, call volume in green, and put volume in red.

In the chart below, the most active strikes are situated around $290, with bearish premium at $66,000,150 and bullish premium at $44,400,370.

Seen above, ZM’s option chains are broken down by strike, with bearish premium in red and bullish premium in green.

Unusual Options Activity & Dark Pool Volumes on the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX)

Today among the underlying components of NYSEArca, we saw unusual and noteworthy dark pool trading volume and activity on the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX), which opened today at $32.26.

There were 2,004,386 units sold for a premium of $65M. This order comes just after reports that gold miner ETFs are experiencing an outflow.

There has been consistent dark pool activity, and as of today there has been 2,416,542 volume, as GDX’s price has settled to $32.52 at the time of this writing.

VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF’s historical price, in blue, since July 20th, 2021, and its requisite dark pool volumes seen in gray.

On the January 21st, 2022 expiration, there is now approximately $84,281,640 bullish premium traded, in green, which is just in line with bearish premium, in red, at $75,737,526. On the right chart, it is seen that the most active chain is now the around the $32.5 strike.

VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF’s chain breakdowns of $30,000 premium or greater are visualized by expiration, on the left, and strike, on the right.

Seen in the figure below, there was noteworthy or unusual options orders on the $31 strike put option, traded at the bid, dated for October 15th, 2021, amounting to 1,750 contracts traded, representing 175,000 shares.

GDX’s options flow for today, organized by the sizes of orders descending.

For further information on the unusual options activity of ZM, EDU, and GDX, visit unusualwhales.com