Ainvest Option Flow Digest - 2025-12-23: $162.7M Pre-Holiday Tsunami Hits 9 Tickers

December 23, 2025 | NVDA's Monster $124M Call Load + GOOG's $11M Bearish Protection + RIVN's $8.4M Deep ITM Conviction | Tech Giants, EV, & Consumer Plays Dominate Holiday Week

The $162.7M Pre-Holiday Institutional Wave: NVDA Leads the Charge

UNPRECEDENTED YEAR-END POSITIONING: We just tracked $162.7 MILLION in concentrated options activity across 9 tickers on the last trading days before Christmas. NVDA commands the session with a jaw-dropping $124M call buying spree (77% of today's flow!), while GOOG draws $11M in protective put buying, and RIVN sees $8.4M deep ITM conviction plays. This isn't typical holiday-week tape - institutions are aggressively positioning for 2026 before year-end.

Total Flow Tracked: $162,700,000 Most Shocking: NVDA $124M call buying across Jan/Mar 2026 expirations Bearish Hedge: GOOG $11M put buy - 555x average volume! Deep Conviction: RIVN $8.4M deep ITM call - R2 platform launch bet Smart Money Exits: ASTS $1.3M + CORZ $1.1M call closes (taking profits)

Summary Table: All 9 Institutional Positions at a Glance

THE COMPLETE WHALE LINEUP: All 9 Institutional Positions

1. NVDA - The $124M AI Chip Juggernaut Load-Up

DISCOVER WHY INSTITUTIONS BET $124M ON NVDA BEFORE 2026

• Flow: $124M total ($73M Jan 16 2026 + $51M Mar 20 2026 calls)
• Strikes: $50 (deep ITM) + $160 targets
• What's Happening: CES 2026 keynote in 2 weeks + GB200 production ramp + China export dynamics
• The Big Question: Is this the final accumulation before next leg to $200?
• Catalyst: CES January 6-9, Q4 earnings late February 2026

2. GOOG - The $11M Bearish Protection Play

ANALYZE THE MASSIVE PUT BUYING ON GOOGLE

• Flow: $11M put buying at $320 strike (555x average volume!)
• Expiration: January 30, 2026
• What's Happening: Post-holiday portfolio protection + DOJ antitrust concerns + AI competition
• The Big Question: What does smart money know about Q1 2026 headwinds?
• Catalyst: DOJ antitrust developments, Q4 earnings January 2026

3. RIVN - The $8.4M Deep ITM Conviction Bet

DECODE THE MASSIVE DEEP ITM CALL POSITIONING ON RIVN

• Flow: $8.4M deep ITM call at $15 strike
• Expiration: March 20, 2026
• What's Happening: R2 platform launch catalyst + $5B DOE loan secured + VW partnership expansion
• The Big Question: Can RIVN execute on mass-market R2 to reach profitability?
• Catalyst: R2 production updates Q1 2026, VW joint venture milestones

4. XLY - The $5.7M Consumer Discretionary LEAP

SEE WHY $5.7M FLOWS INTO CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY FOR 2026

• Flow: $5.7M LEAPS calls at $127.50 strike
• Expiration: December 18, 2026 (full year runway)
• What's Happening: Betting on consumer resilience + rate cuts benefiting discretionary spending
• The Big Question: Will 2026 be the year consumer discretionary outperforms?
• Catalyst: Fed rate decisions, consumer sentiment data throughout 2026

5. PDD - The $5.1M Mixed Signal LEAPS Play

UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEX PDD POSITIONING - CALLS MEET PUTS

• Flow: $5.1M total ($4M Jun 2027 LEAPS calls + $1.1M May 2026 puts)
• What's Happening: Temu US expansion uncertainty + China consumer rebound + regulatory risks
• The Big Question: Is smart money straddling because they can't call the direction?
• Catalyst: Temu regulatory developments, China economic data, Q4 earnings

6. LRCX - The $4.9M Put Close (Bullish Signal)

DISCOVER WHY INSTITUTIONS CLOSE $4.9M IN PUT PROTECTION

• Flow: $4.9M put close (buy-to-close) at $160 strike
• Expiration: March 20, 2026
• What's Happening: Removing downside hedge = bullish on semi equipment cycle continuation
• The Big Question: Does hedge removal signal bottom is in for semi equipment?
• Catalyst: Q1 2026 semi capex guidance, AI chip production expansion

7. ASTS - The $1.3M Strategic Call Close

ANALYZE WHY SMART MONEY EXITS ASTS BEFORE BLUEBIRD 6

• Flow: $1.3M call close (buy-to-close) at $100 strike
• Expiration: January 16, 2026
• What's Happening: Profit-taking ahead of binary BlueBird 6 launch event
• The Big Question: Why exit before the biggest catalyst - do they know something?
• Catalyst: BlueBird 6 satellite launch (major binary event)

8. SBUX - The $1.2M Turnaround LEAP Bet

DECODE THE $1.2M LONG-TERM BET ON STARBUCKS REVIVAL

• Flow: $1.2M call buying at $85 strike
• Expiration: June 18, 2026
• What's Happening: New CEO Brian Niccol turnaround + China market recovery hopes
• The Big Question: Can Niccol execute the Chipotle playbook at Starbucks?
• Catalyst: Q1 2026 earnings (first full Niccol quarter), China store performance

9. CORZ - The $1.1M Bitcoin Miner Call Close

UNDERSTAND THE CORZ PROFIT-TAKING AMID AI PIVOT

• Flow: $1.1M call close (sell-to-close) at $17 strike
• Expiration: March 20, 2026
• What's Happening: Reducing bullish exposure on Bitcoin miner transitioning to AI
• The Big Question: Is the easy money made in Bitcoin mining to AI pivot trade?
• Catalyst: Bitcoin price action, AI infrastructure customer announcements

URGENT: Critical Expiries & Catalysts This Quarter

14 DAYS TO CES 2026 (January 6-9)

• NVDA - $124M call positioning - Jensen Huang keynote January 6

24 DAYS TO JANUARY EXPIRY

• ASTS - $1.3M position closed - BlueBird 6 launch before Jan 16 expiry
• NVDA - $73M Jan 16 leg - CES catalyst before expiry

37 DAYS TO GOOG EXPIRY (January 30)

• GOOG - $11M put protection - Post-holiday selloff hedge

Q1 2026 Earnings Season

• NVDA Q4 earnings late February - GB200 revenue ramp validation
• GOOG Q4 earnings January - DOJ impact assessment
• SBUX Q1 earnings February - Niccol turnaround metrics
• RIVN Q4 earnings February/March - R2 production timeline

Smart Money Themes: What Institutions Are Really Betting

AI Semiconductor Dominance (77% of Flow: $124M)

The AI Trade Continues Into 2026:

• NVDA: $124M call buying - CES keynote + GB200 ramp
• LRCX: $4.9M put close - semi equipment bull signal

Defensive Positioning ($11M Protection)

Smart Money Hedging Before Year-End:

• GOOG: $11M put protection - 555x average volume

EV & Consumer Conviction ($15.3M Long-Term Bets)

Patient Capital on Multi-Year Themes:

• RIVN: $8.4M deep ITM - R2 platform conviction
• XLY: $5.7M LEAPS - consumer discretionary recovery
• SBUX: $1.2M LEAP - turnaround bet

Strategic Exits ($3.5M Profit-Taking)

Institutions Securing Gains:

• ASTS: $1.3M call close - pre-BlueBird exit
• CORZ: $1.1M call close - Bitcoin miner profit-taking
• LRCX: $4.9M put close - removing hedge

Your Action Plan: How to Trade Each Signal

YOLO Plays (1-2% Portfolio MAX)

EXTREME RISK - Binary events with asymmetric payoff

CES 2026 Lottery Ticket:

• NVDA short-dated OTM calls - CES keynote January 6 catalyst (14 days!)
• Risk: IV crush if announcement disappoints
• Reward: 200-500% if GB200 guidance exceeds expectations

EV Binary Event:

• RIVN March calls - R2 production announcements
• Risk: EV demand slowdown, execution delays
• Reward: 3-5x if mass-market R2 timeline beats expectations

Swing Trades (3-5% Portfolio)

Multi-week opportunities with institutional backing

AI Infrastructure Basket:

• NVDA January/March spreads - Follow $124M whale through CES
• LRCX March calls - Semi equipment cycle continuation
• Timeline: Hold through Q1 2026 earnings season

Consumer Recovery:

• XLY calendar spreads - Ride consumer discretionary into 2026
• SBUX June spreads - Turnaround momentum plays

Defensive Positioning:

• GOOG put spreads - Portfolio protection into Q1

Premium Collection (Income Strategy)

Follow institutional sellers to harvest premium

High IV Plays:

• NVDA covered calls - Sell $160-170 strikes against long position (collect elevated CES IV)
• RIVN iron condors - Range-bound EV volatility premium

Calendar Spread Income:

• XLY calendar spreads - Sell near-term against LEAP position
• SBUX calendar spreads - Harvest turnaround uncertainty premium

Entry Level Investor (Conservative)

Low-risk, time-diversified institutional following

Quality AI Exposure:

• NVDA shares or deep ITM LEAPS - AI semiconductor leader with institutional backing
• XLY shares - Diversified consumer discretionary exposure

Turnaround Value:

• SBUX shares below $85 - CEO Niccol has Chipotle track record
• Paper trade first - Watch how these positions evolve through CES/earnings

Critical Rules for Beginners:

• Never risk more than 1% of portfolio per trade
• Paper trade CES week plays to learn IV dynamics
• Avoid YOLO plays until you have 100+ trades experience
• If you don't understand Greeks, study before trading

Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly & LEAP Tags

Weekly (No weekly expiries today)

• N/A - All positions are monthly or longer dated

Monthly (January 2026)

• NVDA - $73M Jan 16 2026 calls (CES catalyst)
• ASTS - $1.3M Jan 16 2026 call close (BlueBird binary)
• GOOG - $11M Jan 30 2026 puts (post-holiday hedge)

Quarterly (March 2026)

• NVDA - $51M Mar 20 2026 calls
• RIVN - $8.4M Mar 20 2026 deep ITM calls
• LRCX - $4.9M Mar 20 2026 put close
• CORZ - $1.1M Mar 20 2026 call close

LEAPS (2026+ Expiries)

• XLY - $5.7M Dec 18 2026 calls (full year runway)
• PDD - $4M Jun 2027 LEAPS calls (18 months out!)
• SBUX - $1.2M Jun 18 2026 calls (6 months)

What Could Destroy These Trades

If You're Following the Bulls

AI Chip Plays (NVDA, LRCX):

• CES 2026 keynote fails to excite on GB200 production timeline
• China export restrictions tighten further
• Hyperscaler capex slowdown if AI monetization disappoints
• Competition from AMD MI300X gains significant share

EV & Consumer (RIVN, XLY, SBUX):

• R2 production delays push mass-market timeline to 2027
• Consumer spending weakens in Q1 2026 recession fears
• China market deteriorates further for SBUX
• Rate cuts slower than market expects

Mixed Signals (PDD):

• Temu faces regulatory crackdown in US/EU
• China consumer remains weak despite stimulus
• E-commerce competition intensifies from Shein, Amazon

If You're Following the Bears

GOOG Put Protection:

• DOJ antitrust case settles favorably
• Q4 earnings show AI monetization acceleration
• Search/YouTube ad revenue surprises to upside
• Market rallies through Q1 2026 on rate cuts

Get Complete Analysis on Every Trade

AI Semiconductor Positioning:

• NVDA $124M Call Buying - The Year-End AI Accumulation
• LRCX $4.9M Put Close - Semi Equipment Bull Signal

Bearish & Defensive:

• GOOG $11M Put Protection - 555x Average Volume

EV & Consumer Long-Term:

• RIVN $8.4M Deep ITM - R2 Platform Conviction
• XLY $5.7M LEAPS - Consumer Discretionary Recovery
• SBUX $1.2M Call Buy - Turnaround Thesis

Strategic Exits & Profit-Taking:

• ASTS $1.3M Call Close - Pre-BlueBird Exit
• CORZ $1.1M Call Close - Bitcoin Miner Profit-Taking

Complex Positioning:

• PDD $5.1M Mixed LEAPS - Calls Meet Puts

Options involve substantial risk and are not suitable for all investors. The unusual activity tracked here represents sophisticated institutional strategies that may be part of larger hedged portfolios not visible to retail traders. These positions represent past institutional behavior and don't guarantee future performance. NVDA's $124M call buying is concentrated risk on single-stock AI exposure. Always practice proper risk management and never risk more than you can afford to lose completely.

Total Flow Summary:

• Total Tracked: $162,700,000
• Largest Position: NVDA $124M (77% of total flow)
• Sector Leaders: AI Semiconductors $128.9M (79%), Consumer/EV $15.3M (9%), Defensive $11M (7%)
• Tickers Analyzed: 9 companies across semiconductors, tech, EV, consumer, space, crypto-mining
• Expiry Range: January 2026 through June 2027 (LEAPs up to 18 months out)