Significant Options Trading on Friday: ALB, MU, ERIE
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 19 2025
0mins
Should l Buy MU?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Micron Technology Options Trading: Micron Technology Inc. (MU) experienced a significant options trading volume of 388,294 contracts, equating to about 38.8 million underlying shares, which is 147.4% of its average daily trading volume. Notably, the $265 strike call option expiring on December 19, 2025, saw 28,659 contracts traded.
Erie Indemnity Options Trading: Erie Indemnity Co. (ERIE) had an options trading volume of 1,751 contracts, representing approximately 175,100 underlying shares, or 113.4% of its average daily trading volume. The $250 strike call option expiring on June 18, 2026, was particularly active with 866 contracts traded.
Options Trading Insights: The article provides insights into the options trading activities of both Micron Technology and Erie Indemnity, highlighting specific strike prices and expiration dates that attracted significant trading interest.
Source Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Nasdaq, Inc.
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Analyst Views on MU
Wall Street analysts forecast MU stock price to fall
26 Analyst Rating
24 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 399.780
Low
235.00
Averages
336.12
High
500.00
Current: 399.780
Low
235.00
Averages
336.12
High
500.00
About MU
Micron Technology, Inc. provides memory and storage solutions. The Company delivers a portfolio of high-performance dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), NAND, and NOR memory and storage products through its Micron and Crucial brands. The Company's products enable advancing in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications. Its segments include Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU), Mobile Business Unit (MBU), Embedded Business Unit (EBU), and Storage Business Unit (SBU). CNBU segment includes memory products and solutions sold into the data center, PC, graphics, and networking markets. MBU segment includes memory and storage products sold into the smartphone and other mobile-device markets. EBU segment includes memory and storage products and solutions sold into the intelligent edge through the automotive, industrial, and consumer embedded markets. SBU segment includes SSDs and component-level storage solutions sold into the data center, PC, and consumer markets.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Micron Technology's Stock Soars 250% Amid AI Demand Surge
- Stock Surge: Micron Technology's stock has skyrocketed 250% since September, achieving a market cap exceeding $460 billion, reflecting strong market confidence in its future growth and raising questions about its potential to reach a $1 trillion valuation soon.
- Demand Drivers: The surge in demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM), particularly for AI training and inference, has led hyperscalers to increase their chip budgets, directly boosting Micron's sales, with projected earnings per share reaching $8.42 in 2026.
- Price Increases: Due to a shortage of DRAM memory chips, Micron's average selling price rose 20% sequentially in Q1, with gross margins expanding from 46% to 57%, enhancing the company's profitability and competitive position in a fierce market.
- Future Outlook: While Micron plans to invest $20 billion in capital expenditures for fiscal 2026, the cyclical nature of the industry suggests potential volatility in its earnings, with analysts raising their earnings expectations for 2026 and 2027 to $33.73 and $43.54 per share, respectively.
See More
Micron Invests $50 Billion in New Factories
- Massive Investment: Micron plans to invest $50 billion in Boise, Idaho, to build two new 600,000-square-foot chip factories, expected to open in mid-2027 and by the end of 2028, aimed at addressing the unprecedented global DRAM supply tightness.
- Global Expansion: In addition to the Boise factories, Micron is constructing a $100 billion facility in Syracuse, NY, and a $9.6 billion factory in Hiroshima, Japan, bringing total investments to $200 billion to break the AI memory bottleneck.
- Cash Flow and Financial Pressure: Although Micron generates over $22 billion in cash flow before capital expenditures, its cash reserves are only around $10 billion, indicating significant financial pressure that could impact future stability amid aggressive expansion plans.
- Market Reaction Volatility: Following the investment announcement, Micron's stock fell 3% but rebounded by 6.9%, reflecting market confidence in its long-term growth potential, although short-term risks related to DRAM price fluctuations remain a concern.
See More
Micron Invests $50 Billion to Expand Chip Manufacturing
- Massive Investment: Micron plans to invest $50 billion in Boise, Idaho, to expand its 450-acre campus by building two new 600,000-square-foot factories, aimed at addressing the unprecedented tightness in global DRAM supply, with production expected to start in mid-2027 and late 2028, significantly enhancing its manufacturing capacity.
- Positive Market Reaction: Despite a 3% drop in Micron's stock price following the investment announcement, shares rebounded by 6.9% in subsequent trading, reflecting investor confidence in the company's long-term growth potential, recovering all previous losses and adding further value.
- Global Expansion Strategy: In addition to the Boise investment, Micron is constructing a $100 billion factory in Syracuse, NY, and a $9.6 billion facility in Hiroshima, Japan, with an overall plan totaling $200 billion aimed at breaking the AI memory bottleneck and enhancing its competitive position in the market.
- Financial Challenges Ahead: Although Micron generates over $22 billion in cash flow, its cash reserves are only around $10 billion, presenting funding challenges; if DRAM prices decline, it could negatively impact the company's financial health.
See More
Micron Technology Shares Surge 313%, Market Cap Reaches $463 Billion
- Stock Surge: Micron Technology's shares have surged 313% over the past year, elevating the company's market capitalization from over $100 billion to approximately $463 billion, reflecting strong performance in the memory market and investor confidence.
- Strong Earnings Outlook: Analysts project a 306% increase in Micron's earnings per share for the current fiscal year to $33.73, with a remarkable 167% year-over-year growth in Q1 2026, indicating significant enhancement in the company's profitability.
- Soaring Memory Demand: Fueled by AI, demand for memory chips is skyrocketing, with data centers expected to consume 70% of this year's production, leading to price increases; S&P Global forecasts DRAM contract prices will rise by 70% to 100% by 2026.
- Trillion-Dollar Valuation Goal: Analysts predict Micron's stock could reach $995 by the end of 2026, potentially pushing its market cap past $1 trillion, underscoring the company's pivotal role and growth potential in the AI market.
See More
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- Strong Economic Data: US December capital goods new orders rose 0.6% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of 0.3%, indicating a rebound in capital spending and boosting market confidence in economic recovery.
- Housing Market Recovery: December housing starts increased by 6.2% month-over-month to 1.404 million, significantly exceeding expectations of 1.304 million, suggesting a revival in the real estate market that could drive growth in related sectors.
- Manufacturing Production Growth: January manufacturing production rose 0.6% month-over-month, beating expectations of 0.4%, marking the largest increase in 11 months, which indicates a recovery momentum in manufacturing that may further propel economic growth.
- Optimistic Corporate Earnings: Over 75% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings that exceeded expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, which will further boost market sentiment and attract investor interest.
See More
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- Market Cap Surge: Micron Technology's market capitalization has surged over fourfold in the past year to approximately $463 billion, up from over $100 billion a year ago, reflecting strong performance in the memory market and significant investor confidence.
- Strong Earnings Outlook: Micron is projected to see a 306% increase in earnings per share to $33.73 in the current fiscal year, with a 167% year-over-year increase in Q1 2026 earnings, showcasing the company's robust profitability amid surging memory demand.
- High Market Demand: Driven by AI, the demand for memory chips from data centers is expected to lead to a 70% to 100% increase in DRAM contract prices by 2026, as reported by S&P Global, further propelling Micron's revenue and earnings growth.
- Significant Stock Potential: Analysts predict that Micron's stock could reach $995 by the end of 2026, representing a 2.4 times increase from its current price, potentially pushing the company's market cap to $1 trillion, marking a significant milestone in the tech sector.
See More
Micron Technology's Stock Soars 250% Amid AI Demand Surge
- Stock Surge: Micron Technology's stock has skyrocketed 250% since September, achieving a market cap exceeding $460 billion, reflecting strong market confidence in its future growth and raising questions about its potential to reach a $1 trillion valuation soon.
- Demand Drivers: The surge in demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM), particularly for AI training and inference, has led hyperscalers to increase their chip budgets, directly boosting Micron's sales, with projected earnings per share reaching $8.42 in 2026.
- Price Increases: Due to a shortage of DRAM memory chips, Micron's average selling price rose 20% sequentially in Q1, with gross margins expanding from 46% to 57%, enhancing the company's profitability and competitive position in a fierce market.
- Future Outlook: While Micron plans to invest $20 billion in capital expenditures for fiscal 2026, the cyclical nature of the industry suggests potential volatility in its earnings, with analysts raising their earnings expectations for 2026 and 2027 to $33.73 and $43.54 per share, respectively.
See More
Micron Invests $50 Billion in New Factories
- Massive Investment: Micron plans to invest $50 billion in Boise, Idaho, to build two new 600,000-square-foot chip factories, expected to open in mid-2027 and by the end of 2028, aimed at addressing the unprecedented global DRAM supply tightness.
- Global Expansion: In addition to the Boise factories, Micron is constructing a $100 billion facility in Syracuse, NY, and a $9.6 billion factory in Hiroshima, Japan, bringing total investments to $200 billion to break the AI memory bottleneck.
- Cash Flow and Financial Pressure: Although Micron generates over $22 billion in cash flow before capital expenditures, its cash reserves are only around $10 billion, indicating significant financial pressure that could impact future stability amid aggressive expansion plans.
- Market Reaction Volatility: Following the investment announcement, Micron's stock fell 3% but rebounded by 6.9%, reflecting market confidence in its long-term growth potential, although short-term risks related to DRAM price fluctuations remain a concern.
See More
Micron Invests $50 Billion to Expand Chip Manufacturing
- Massive Investment: Micron plans to invest $50 billion in Boise, Idaho, to expand its 450-acre campus by building two new 600,000-square-foot factories, aimed at addressing the unprecedented tightness in global DRAM supply, with production expected to start in mid-2027 and late 2028, significantly enhancing its manufacturing capacity.
- Positive Market Reaction: Despite a 3% drop in Micron's stock price following the investment announcement, shares rebounded by 6.9% in subsequent trading, reflecting investor confidence in the company's long-term growth potential, recovering all previous losses and adding further value.
- Global Expansion Strategy: In addition to the Boise investment, Micron is constructing a $100 billion factory in Syracuse, NY, and a $9.6 billion facility in Hiroshima, Japan, with an overall plan totaling $200 billion aimed at breaking the AI memory bottleneck and enhancing its competitive position in the market.
- Financial Challenges Ahead: Although Micron generates over $22 billion in cash flow, its cash reserves are only around $10 billion, presenting funding challenges; if DRAM prices decline, it could negatively impact the company's financial health.
See More
Micron Technology Shares Surge 313%, Market Cap Reaches $463 Billion
- Stock Surge: Micron Technology's shares have surged 313% over the past year, elevating the company's market capitalization from over $100 billion to approximately $463 billion, reflecting strong performance in the memory market and investor confidence.
- Strong Earnings Outlook: Analysts project a 306% increase in Micron's earnings per share for the current fiscal year to $33.73, with a remarkable 167% year-over-year growth in Q1 2026, indicating significant enhancement in the company's profitability.
- Soaring Memory Demand: Fueled by AI, demand for memory chips is skyrocketing, with data centers expected to consume 70% of this year's production, leading to price increases; S&P Global forecasts DRAM contract prices will rise by 70% to 100% by 2026.
- Trillion-Dollar Valuation Goal: Analysts predict Micron's stock could reach $995 by the end of 2026, potentially pushing its market cap past $1 trillion, underscoring the company's pivotal role and growth potential in the AI market.
See More
US Stock Markets Rise on Strong Economic Data
- Strong Economic Data: US December capital goods new orders rose 0.6% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of 0.3%, indicating a rebound in capital spending and boosting market confidence in economic recovery.
- Housing Market Recovery: December housing starts increased by 6.2% month-over-month to 1.404 million, significantly exceeding expectations of 1.304 million, suggesting a revival in the real estate market that could drive growth in related sectors.
- Manufacturing Production Growth: January manufacturing production rose 0.6% month-over-month, beating expectations of 0.4%, marking the largest increase in 11 months, which indicates a recovery momentum in manufacturing that may further propel economic growth.
- Optimistic Corporate Earnings: Over 75% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings that exceeded expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, which will further boost market sentiment and attract investor interest.
See More
Micron Technology's Market Cap Soars Over 4x in a Year
- Market Cap Surge: Micron Technology's market capitalization has surged over fourfold in the past year to approximately $463 billion, up from over $100 billion a year ago, reflecting strong performance in the memory market and significant investor confidence.
- Strong Earnings Outlook: Micron is projected to see a 306% increase in earnings per share to $33.73 in the current fiscal year, with a 167% year-over-year increase in Q1 2026 earnings, showcasing the company's robust profitability amid surging memory demand.
- High Market Demand: Driven by AI, the demand for memory chips from data centers is expected to lead to a 70% to 100% increase in DRAM contract prices by 2026, as reported by S&P Global, further propelling Micron's revenue and earnings growth.
- Significant Stock Potential: Analysts predict that Micron's stock could reach $995 by the end of 2026, representing a 2.4 times increase from its current price, potentially pushing the company's market cap to $1 trillion, marking a significant milestone in the tech sector.
See More
