The Hot Options Report: 01-28-26

This episode of The Hot Options Report tackles a high-stakes "Fed Day" session as the market navigates a steady policy hold and a massive wave of "Mag 7" earnings. Host Mark Longo breaks down the top 10 most active names, tracking the wild after-hours divergence between Meta's moonshot and Microsoft's retreat, as well as the parabolic move in Micron and Intel's roaring recovery. Fed Day & Earnings Chaos: The Tale of Two Tapes Despite a light start to the session as traders kept their "powder dry" for the FOMC announcement, the afternoon transformed into an earnings battleground. The Fed maintained interest rates at 3.50% to 3.75%, but the real volatility was found in the tech sector's after-hours reactions. The Top 10 Options Breakdown Rank Ticker Volume Key "Hot Option" Notable Move 1 NVDA 1.92M 192.5 Calls (Exp. Friday) Gained $3.00 to close at $191.52. 2 INTC 1.37M 50 Calls Surged 11% ($4.85) to close at $48.78. 3 TSLA 1.21M 450 Calls Rallying $13.60 after-hours to $444. 4 PLTR 641K 170 Calls Sold off 5% ($8.35) to close at $157.33. 5 AMZN 593K 245 Calls Dipped $1.67 to close at $243.00. 6 MU 570K 450 Calls Exploded 6% ($25.00) to close at $435.28. 7 MSFT 524K 500 Calls Dropping $23.00 after-hours to $458. 8 META 521K 700 Calls Surging $62.00 after-hours to $731. 9 AAPL 461K 270 Calls Slipped $1.83 to close at $256.44. 10 NFLX 433K 86 Calls Fell 1% ($0.84) to close at $84.64. Highlights from the Tape Meta vs. Microsoft: A dramatic split in AI sentiment. Meta is soaring over $730 in the after-hours, making those $11 premium 700 calls look like a steal. Meanwhile, Microsoft is "circling the bowl" despite beating estimates, dropping nearly $23 after-hours as investors weigh heavy AI capex. Micron's Moonshot: MU continues an absolute tear, up 38% year-to-date and another $25 today. The 450 calls are the target for those betting the AI hardware frenzy isn't over. Intel's Revenge: After a brutal post-earnings drubbing, INTC roared back with an 11% gain, fueled by reports of foundry partnerships with Nvidia and Apple. Nvidia Holds the Crown: NVDA remains the volume king with nearly 2 million contracts. Traders were heavy in the 192.5 calls, looking for a break of the intraday highs.