Noteworthy Monday Option Activity: MDB, ASTS, HI

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) and Hillenbrand (HI) are exhibiting unusually high options trading volumes today, representing 46.3% and 43.7% of their respective average daily share trading volumes. Significant activity is concentrated in long-dated call options, specifically the ASTS October 2025 $60 strike and the HI November 2025 $30 strike, indicating heightened speculative interest or directional positioning for these equities.

Analysis

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) and Hillenbrand (HI) are exhibiting significant and unusual options market activity, indicating heightened investor focus. For ASTS, options volume reached 54,523 contracts, representing 46.3% of its average daily share trading volume of 11.8 million shares. Similarly, HI saw options volume of 2,354 contracts, equivalent to 43.7% of its 538,965-share average daily volume. The activity is notably concentrated in long-dated call options, suggesting directional, bullish speculation rather than short-term hedging. Specifically, the ASTS October 2025 $60 strike call saw 7,097 contracts trade, while the HI November 2025 $30 strike call traded 961 contracts. This pattern of high-volume, long-expiry call buying indicates that a segment of the market is positioning for substantial upside in these equities over a multi-year horizon.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should monitor the change in open interest for the ASTS October 2025 $60 calls and HI November 2025 $30 calls to confirm if today's high volume is establishing new long positions, which would reinforce the bullish signal.
• The surge in call buying may lead to an increase in implied volatility for both tickers, making option-based strategies more expensive and signaling market expectations of significant future price movement.