Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) revealed today the purchase of Manus, a Singapore-based maker of general purpose agentic AI, which can execute tasks such as coding, market research, and data analysis. The Big Tech concern noted the purchase, which values Manus at about $2 billion, aims to accelerate AI business innovation.
META was last seen up 1.9% to trade at $671.05, pacing for a third-straight gain and padding its 13.7% year-to-date lead. The stock has struggled with a ceiling at $675, an area that coincides with the post-earnings close after a 10.3% drawdown on Oct 31.
Options traders have been steadily call-skewed. META's 50-day put/call volume of 2.10 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) ranks higher than 88% of annual readings.
Premium is affordably priced at the moment, per META's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 23% that sits in the 1st percentile of its annual range, implying near-term option traders are pricing in low volatility expectations. Plus, the stock tended to outperform those volatility expectations over the past year, as suggested by its Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) of 85 out of 100.
