Top 20 Equity Options Traded
in April 2025
May 8, 2025
In April 2025, U.S. stock markets experienced significant volatility following President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports, dubbed "Liberation Day." The immediate market reaction was severe: the S&P 500 fell over 12%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly 4,600 points, and the Nasdaq entered bear market territory. This downturn was exacerbated by retaliatory tariffs from China and concerns over a contracting U.S. economy, with GDP shrinking by 0.3% in the first quarter. Investor sentiment was further shaken by fears of stagflation and the Federal Reserve's cautious stance on interest rate adjustments amid inflation concerns.
However, markets rebounded later in the month after President Trump announced a 90-day pause on most tariffs, excluding those targeting China. This policy shift, coupled with strong corporate earnings—approximately 75% of S&P 500 companies exceeded profit expectations—and a robust jobs report showing 177,000 jobs added, restored some investor confidence. By the end of April, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones had recovered most of their losses. Despite this recovery, the market remained cautious, with ongoing concerns about trade policies and economic stability.
As volatility was the real story in April, the S&P 500 ended down 0.8%. The Dow was down 3.2% for the third straight losing month. The tech-heavy Nasdaq posted a 0.9% increase for the month.
The chart below visualizes ETF performance related on the Dow, Nasdaq and S&P indices for the month of April 2025.
- Despite reporting better-than-expected Q1 earnings, Booking Holdings' stock declined due to concerns over slowing travel demand and increased competition from emerging platforms.
- Nvidia achieved record Q4 fiscal 2025 revenue of $39.3 billion, driven by strong demand for its Blackwell AI supercomputers.
- Tesla advances as Elon Musk is expected to shift his focus away from DOGE and back to his CEO role at Tesla.
- Meta launched a standalone AI assistant app powered by its Llama 4 model and reported Q1 earnings surpassing expectations, with a 35% increase in net income to $16.64 billion.
- Netflix reported a 12.5% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1 2025, reflecting steady growth in its streaming services.
- Apple's shares fell due to concerns over tariffs and a reduction in its stock buyback program, despite narrowly beating quarterly sales expectations.
- Palantir's stock rose nearly 5% after NATO acquired its AI-enabled military system, MSS NATO, marking a significant defense contract for the company.
Below are the most active 20 equity symbols based on the number of option trades in eOption accounts in April 2025. Note that we do not make trade recommendations and are sharing this solely for your interest.
- Booking.com (BKNG)
- Nvidia (NVDA)
- Tesla (TSLA)
- Meta Platforms (META)
- Netflix (NFLX)
- Apple (AAPL)
- Palantir Technologies (PLTR)
- Amazon (AMZN)
- Intel (INTC)
- Boeing (BA)
- Strategy (MSTR)
- Broadcom (AVGO)
- Robinhood Markets (HOOD)
- Costco (COST)
- Spotify (SPOT)
- Super Micro Computer (SMCI)
- Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
- Rocket Lab USA (RKLB)
- Alibaba Group (BABA)
- Caterpillar (CAT)
As the markets abhor uncertainty, many are planning on volatility for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, smart options traders can take advantage of the opportunity.
We’ll pick up the story in next month’s report.
Stay informed and trade well.
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This information provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered recommendations or advice by eOption. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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