Top 20 Equity Options Traded
in July 2025
August 6, 2025
In July 2025, U.S. equity markets showed resilience despite
turbulent global and domestic developments the month prior. The S&P 500
rose approximately 2.2%, the Nasdaq surged 3.7%, and the Dow eked out a modest
0.1% gain, largely driven by strong earnings from mega-cap tech companies.
Investors leaned into artificial intelligence optimism, lifting names like
NVIDIA, Meta, and Alphabet, which helped the Nasdaq post fresh highs.
June’s
turmoil set a tense backdrop for July’s rally. Geopolitical conflict erupted in the Middle East as Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities prompted
missile retaliation, raising fears of war near the oil-critical Strait of
Hormuz. Crude prices jumped by over 10%, spooking energy markets and airline
stocks. At the same time, President Trump expanded tariffs on global imports,
including those from the EU, India, and Canada, which triggered inflation
concerns and weighed on industrial and auto sectors.
Compounding
market anxiety, the U.S. reported a surprise -0.3% GDP contraction in Q1, its
first economic decline in three years, suggesting a slowdown was underway even
before new tariffs took hold. Political instability intensified as Trump fired
the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics following disappointing jobs data,
raising questions about the integrity of economic reporting and Fed
independence.
Despite
these headwinds, investors in July favored large-cap tech names that continued
to beat expectations. NVIDIA crossed a $4 trillion market cap, while Meta and
Microsoft posted strong quarterly results, further validating AI’s secular
growth narrative. Still, sectors exposed to trade frictions, like autos and
manufacturing, faced headwinds, and investors grew increasingly cautious about
policy unpredictability. July ended on a high note, but clouds from June’s
geopolitical and economic shocks lingered.
The
chart below visualizes ETF performance related on the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P
indices for the month of July 2025.
Below are the most active 20 equity symbols based on the number of option trades in eOption accounts in July 2025. Note that we do not make trade recommendations and are sharing this solely for your interest.
- NVDA – NVIDIA Corporation: NVDA shares surged during July, propelled by its AI chip leadership, hitting a historic milestone as the first company to surpass a $4 trillion market cap on July 9; shares were up roughly 15–22% in the month and capped off strong momentum in AI-driven markets
- AZO – AutoZone, Inc.: Performance was relatively quiet with no specific notable news or standout volatility reported in July.
- TSLA – Tesla, Inc.: Tesla shares fell sharply in early July following Elon Musk’s surprise launch of the “American Party,” triggering nearly a 7% pre market sell off; combined with a 12% year over year drop in Q2 revenue, results led to a volatile month and ~20–22% YTD decline
- BKNG – Booking Holdings Inc.: No major market-moving events widely reported during July; Booking Holdings registered broadly steady trading in line with broader travel rebound tone.
- NFLX– Netflix, Inc.: Continued to benefit from strong tech sentiment as part of the “Magnificent Seven,” solidifying its long term recognition among top performing tech names, though no specific July news highlighted
- META – Meta Platforms, Inc.: Delivered robust results in Q2 with operating EPS rising ~38%, reinforcing investor confidence in its AI pivot and driving share gains over July
- AMZN – Amazon.com Inc.: Amazon disappointed in AWS growth during Q2, resulting in a ~7% drop in share price on broader concerns despite overall tech strength
- AAPL – Apple Inc.: Apple outperformed expectations in July amid resilient consumer demand, though growing investor attention shifted to its slower AI rollout relative to peers
- BA – Boeing Co.: Reported no major headlines in July; trading remained range bound without significant newsflow altering investor sentiment.
- PLTR – Palantir Technologies Inc.: Reported record Q2 bookings (~$135 M in ARR), growing 140% y/y, sending optimism in enterprise data demand and driving stock strength in late July
- COIN – Coinbase Global Inc.: As a heavily crypto linked name, COIN saw moderate activity but lacked standout company specific developments during July.
- MSTR – MicroStrategy Inc.: No prominent reporting or market-moving news in July; remained influenced by broader crypto swings but no specific new catalysts.
- INTC – Intel Corporation: Intel saw limited movement in July, with no major earnings or strategic milestones widely cited during the month.
- UNH – UnitedHealth Group Inc.: No widely reported July-specific market impact; trading aligned with broader healthcare sector trends amid steady fundamentals.
- SOFI – SoFi Technologies, Inc.: Surged after strong Q2 results on July 29 — revenue ~$520–858M (+44%), earnings topping estimates, and raised 2025 revenue guidance; investors remain cautious around valuation (~74× EPS) and loan exposure
- AMD – Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.: Gained alongside Nvidia in a broader chip rally that lifted semiconductor names, though no company specific headline like Nvidia's size reached public view in July
- GOOGL – Alphabet Inc.: Continued delivering solid cloud and search growth in Q2, which supported AI investment optimism and share momentum in July as part of Magnificent Seven strength.
- HOOD – Robinhood Markets Inc.: Was among the most active option market names late in July, indicating elevated retail trader interest, though no earnings or major strategic updates were released
- SPOT – Spotify Technology S.A.: Featured in options volume lists, showing heightened investor trading in July, but lacked company specific news that month.
- HIMS – Hims & Hers Health Inc.: Also attracted elevated options activity as part of a broader retail investor frenzy in late July, though no earnings or corporate developments were highlighted
Can August continue the positive trend? We’ll pick up the story in next month’s report.
Stay informed and trade well.
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