>>>We didn’t place our Royalty Trade yesterday so we’ll do that today, and we’ll react to the FOMC announcement and the implications in real time, walk through key things to watch, and highlight some post-Fed plays to keep on your radar — the Stonkamania party starts at 1:30 PM ET!<<<
Look, I’ve seen some wild plays in my time, but what I spotted in IonQ (IONQ) Tuesday had me doing a double take. We’re talking about $630K in the October monthly expiration, $80 strike calls on a stock that’s trading around $63 today, up about 2.7% at lunchtime.
I’ll be the first to admit — this sounds crazy and insane. But when you see flow like this, especially in the nuclear and quantum space that’s been absolutely on fire, you can’t just ignore it.
To be clear, we see $630K orders all of the time, so that’s nothing new. But it’s the stock along with the order that’s intriguing.
The Math Behind the Madness
IonQ is already up 50% the past week, and this trader is betting it’s going to keep running. For these calls to really pay off, the stock would need to hit $100 — and if it does, they could 10x their money.
That’s the kind of parabolic move we’ve been seeing across the nuclear and quantum names. Rigetti Computing (RGTI), Quantum Computing (QBTS), and the whole crew have been making explosive moves that would’ve sounded impossible just weeks ago.
Why This Bet Makes Sense in Today’s Market
Here’s what I think is happening…
This trader is betting the market goes crazy and this stock hits $100. It’s pure growth stock speculation at its peak, but that’s exactly what we’re seeing in these emerging tech sectors right now.
The nuclear and quantum space is having its moment, and when these themes catch fire, they can create massive squeezes that defy logic. Someone with $630K on the line clearly sees something brewing that could push IonQ into that rarified air.
I’m not saying you should follow this trade — it’s speculation at its most extreme, especially with options (though one could always buy shares outright for the potential move).
But when big money makes moves this bold in sectors showing this kind of momentum, it’s worth watching closely. The most recent call buys are listed down below for your perusal!
Order Flow:
This is for informational and educational purposes only. These are not official alerts issued by Lance, but rather some interesting orders picked by the team at Lance Ippolito Trading.
When you look at these plays, always take the market maker move into consideration.
You can be right on the direction but still lose money if the stock doesn’t move enough. That’s where the market maker move comes in clutch.
With puts, they’re often downside hedges in case a stock tanks, especially around earnings. The further out of the money they are, the more likely they are to be hedges.
Also be sure and check when the company’s earnings date is because many of the plays we post here are centered around earnings!
If a stock is really expensive, consider a spread to lower the cost.
And finally, always remember the golden rule when it comes to buying calls: Buy dips, sell rips — and don’t chase!
If a stock’s moved a ton already today, maybe wait for a pullback.
There is inherent risk in trading. Trade at your own risk.
Note: If no date is listed after the month, it’s the monthly expiration (third Friday).
The team at Lance Ippolito Trading
Lance doesn’t want the CCP spying on him, so you’ll never find him on TikTok. Same goes for other social media sites, which are filled with impersonators, scammers and crypto bros.
You can only find him on his personal YouTube Channel — smash that Subscribe button! https://www.youtube.com/@LanceIppolito
And in his private Telegram channel: https://t.me/+-gVwEIwGJhplMTgx
Important Note: No one from The TradingPub team or any of its associated brands will ever contact you directly on Telegram.
*This is for informational and educational purposes only. There is inherent risk in trading, so trade at your own risk.
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