Noteworthy Thursday Option Activity: COST, STAA, NVDA

Staar Surgical Co. (STAA) and NVIDIA Corp (NVDA) both experienced significantly elevated options trading volumes, indicating heightened market interest. STAA saw 20,899 contracts trade, representing 244.3% of its average daily share volume, with particular focus on the December 2025 $20 put option. Concurrently, NVDA recorded 3.2 million options contracts traded, equating to 188% of its average daily share volume, driven by substantial activity in the October 2025 $195 call option.

Analysis

Staar Surgical Co. (STAA) and NVIDIA Corp (NVDA) both experienced significantly elevated options trading volumes, indicating heightened market interest and potential shifts in investor positioning. STAA's options volume reached 20,899 contracts, representing 244.3% of its average daily share volume, while NVDA saw 3.2 million contracts, equating to 188% of its average daily share volume. This substantial activity suggests increased speculative or hedging interest in both equities.

For STAA, a notable concentration of activity was observed in the December 2025 $20 strike put option, with 10,402 contracts traded, implying a significant bearish or hedging stance against the stock at that price point. Conversely, NVDA's options activity was dominated by the October 2025 $195 strike call option, with 341,255 contracts traded, suggesting a strong bullish conviction or speculative interest in the stock appreciating to or beyond that level.

The elevated options volumes, particularly in specific long-dated strikes, provide insights into market participants' longer-term expectations for these companies. Such disproportionate activity relative to average daily share volume often signals a potential inflection point or a build-up of directional bets, warranting closer examination of underlying fundamentals and technicals for both STAA and NVDA. The neutral sentiment score indicates the article is purely factual reporting, leaving interpretation to the investor.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should analyze STAA's fundamental outlook and technical support levels, particularly around the $20 strike, given the significant volume in long-dated put options.