>>>Rodney and I will share the exact trade setup that’s posted 22 straight wins, and everyone in attendance will have a chance to get access to my latest trading suite at no charge — the Stonkamania party starts at 1:30 PM ET!<<<
You can’t make this stuff up.
I’m sitting here during my livestream last week, talking about Papa John’s (PZZA) and the unusual options activity I spotted on Oct. 16 — when suddenly, someone drops $110,000 on the exact same calls I just bought. Right there. Live. During the stream.
The timing was too perfect. I’m pretty sure it was someone watching, but whoever you are — you paid full market. Still, I respect the conviction.
Here’s why this trade caught my attention in the first place and why I’m holding it…
Why Papa John’s Fits the Buyout Playbook
Papa John’s doesn’t trade much volume in stock or options — it’s not Nvidia (NVDA) or AMD (AMD). That’s exactly what makes it interesting.
When I saw those January expiration, $52.5 calls hitting the tape, it stood out immediately. This isn’t a name that sees heavy options flow. Then more call buying followed — 1,000 additional calls and flow in the $47.5/$50 spread.
That’s not retail messing around.
Papa John’s has had buyout rumors surface several times, so there’s a pattern here. When you combine that history with unusual institutional activity in a low-volume name, you’ve got the ingredients for a speculative play that to me is worth taking.
The rumor floating around is a potential $64 acquisition price. That’s significant upside from current levels, and it’s the kind of asymmetric setup I look for — especially when the options are cheap relative to the potential payoff.
Low Volume Is a Feature, Not a Bug
A lot of traders shy away from stocks like this because of the low float and thin volume. I see it differently when mega-bucks go into a name you rarely see hit the scanner.
Institutional accumulation is way more visible in low-volume names. You can actually see the footprints. Plus, if buyout news breaks — and it usually breaks over the weekend — you get short covering amplifying the move.
That’s when these plays really rip.
The risk management is straightforward. Most buyout speculation fails. That’s just reality. But when you size appropriately and the setup is backed by real unusual activity, the 5x or more potential payoff justifies the risk for me.
If you’re looking for fast-money setups with outsized potential, this is exactly the type of trade that delivers… when it hits.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that it will — that’s why it’s called “speculating” — and we’re seeing a serious dip in the stock today.
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 team at Lance Ippolito Trading, New Money Crew 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.
P.S. Stonkamania Starts at 1:30 PM ET!
We have a surprise guest today for Stonkamania… Rodney!
Today, we’re going to break down our newest income strategy that we have been using for the past three months….
Make sure you are there — we’ll get started at 1:30 p.m. ET sharp!
