Alphabet (GOOGL) Options Signal Bullish Breakout: Key Strike Levels and Whale Moves to Watch

• Alphabet’s stock trades near $313.55, down 0.17% intraday but above all major moving averages.
• Options market shows 0.81 put/call open interest ratio, with heavy call buying at $320 and $322.5 strikes.
• Block trades hint at big money hedging via puts and scaling into calls for 2026.

Here’s the takeaway: Alphabet’s options activity and technicals point to a high-probability upside breakout, but bearish hedges at key levels warn of volatility. Let’s break down why this stock could punch through $325—or stumble back to $300.

Bullish Pressure vs. Bearish Guards at Key Strikes

The options market is a chessboard of bets. Right now, call open interest dominates at $320 (9,982 contracts) and $322.5 (9,240) for this and next Friday’s expirations. That’s not random—it’s a signal. Traders are pricing in a push above the 30D support/resistance cluster at $314.03–$314.97.

But don’t ignore the puts. $312.5 (7,708 OI) and $295 (5,093 OI) act like tripwires. If GOOGL dips below $312.5, those puts could ignite a short-term selloff. The block trades add intrigue: A 2,000-lot put at $240 expiring Jan 16 and a 1,000-lot call at $260 (Dec 19) suggest big players are hedging long-term bets or accumulating cheap premium.

News Flow: AI Wins Outweigh Regulatory Fears

Alphabet’s Q3 $100B revenue print and Gemini 3 Pro’s AI dominance are fueling this rally. The $4.75B Intersect buyout? That’s a power play to solve AI’s energy bottleneck. But here’s the catch: The ad-tech antitrust ruling still looms. While the Sept 2025 court decision avoided a breakup, behavioral mandates could pressure margins.

Investor sentiment is split. Retail traders love the AI narrative—monthly active AI users hit 650M—but institutional investors are wary of valuation stretch. The $400 price target from analysts feels optimistic unless cloud growth accelerates.

Actionable Trades: Calls for the Breakout, Puts for the Safety Net

For options players:

• Bullish Play: Buy GOOGL20260102C320 (next Friday’s $320 call). With 8,547 OI and the stock trading just $7.45 above the strike, this contract offers leverage if the 30D resistance breaks.
• Bearish Hedge: Buy GOOGL20260102P295 (next Friday’s $295 put). If the $312.5 support crumbles, this put caps downside risk at $313.55–$295 = $18.55 per share.

For stock traders:

• Entry near $312.275 (intraday low) if the 30D support at $314.03 holds. Target $325–$330, aligning with the top call strikes and Bollinger Upper Band at $326.18.
• Stop-loss below $310 to avoid triggering the heavy put OI at that level.

Volatility on the Horizon

Alphabet’s story isn’t just about AI—it’s about execution. The block trades hint at big money positioning for 2026, but near-term volatility could spike if the ad-tech ruling escalates. The key is balancing the bullish technical setup with caution around $312.5 support. If that holds, the $320–$330 range becomes a new floor. If it breaks? The puts at $295 and $280 could drag the stock down 6–8%.

Bottom line: This is a stock at a crossroads. The options market is pricing in a breakout, but the puts whisper caution. Your move? Ride the call momentum—but keep a safety net.