Good morning, traders…

Every once in a while, we see crazy trades that seem to come out of nowhere, and you can’t help but wonder if someone had a crystal ball. 

The truth is, the Smart Money always knows something. And with the right tools, you can follow their moves. 

That’s where my OMEN Scanner comes in, spotting unusual activity before the news hits. 

And last week, it flagged two trades that led to absolutely enormous gains.

One was in a low-volume name that most traders ignore. The other was in a household name that suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree…

In both cases, Smart Money stepped in early, made their bets loud and clear — and got paid. Big.

Let’s break down these insane plays so that you understand what to watch for next time. 

Because trades like these don’t show up often … but when they do, they’re worth our full attention.

Trade #1: Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: HTZ)

On April 11th, OMEN flagged a spike in HTZ options activity — something that almost never happens. 

It wasn’t spread-out, speculative noise. It was a targeted, aggressive call-buying spree. 

Specifically, traders were scooping up the April 17 $4.50 and $6 calls with just 6 days to expiration (the shortest-dated contracts available). 

They came in fast, bought at the ask, and made up the bulk of total options volume on the day.

It stood out like a sore thumb for anyone who cared to look.

At the time, HTZ wasn’t doing anything exciting. There was no breaking news. But someone was loading up — and they weren’t shy about it. They held firm even as the stock wobbled for a bit.

Then the news broke: 

Legendary investor Bill Ackman announced he had taken a massive stake in Hertz.

Once that hit the wires, the stock surged, and those cheap calls exploded. What looked like a random trade on a slow name suddenly made perfect sense. 

It wasn’t random at all. It was early.

Some traders, like @TheBronxViking on X, followed the flow. What started as roughly $200,000 in calls turned into over $3 million, a 1200% gain overnight:

Most of us didn’t know Ackman was about to show up. But someone did. 

They made their move before the market had a clue, @TheBronxViking followed, and capitalized. 

That’s the kind of edge my system is built to catch. 

Not magic. Just raw, visible data — and a trader bold enough to act on it.

Trade #2: Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY)

On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve got this crazy LLY trade. 

This isn’t some under-the-radar name. It’s a massive pharmaceutical company, with plenty of institutional eyes on it all the time. 

But what made this trade pop was the timing.

Early last week, before any public news, someone came in and scooped a massive block of the April 17th $770 calls. The sizing wasn’t subtle. And it wasn’t a hedge. 

This was a directional bet with a clear, short-dated deadline…

Then, right on schedule, the company dropped the big news on Thursday, April 17th:

The stock exploded — up nearly 16% by early afternoon. Meanwhile, the calls went totally parabolic:

Let’s assume these calls were bought when LLY was trading around $724 early in the week:

• At that time, the $770 calls were deep out-of-the-money, likely trading for somewhere between $1.00 and $2.50, depending on implied volatility (IV).

• On April 17, with LLY at $840 (and expiration that same day), these calls would have been worth roughly $69.00 to $70.00 per contract.

• If they bought at $2.00 and sold at $70.00, that’s a 3,400% return. If they bought cheaper — say, at $1.00 — we’re talking about a 6,800% return — overnight. 

That trade didn’t just work — it crushed. And once again, the options activity was there before the move.

This shows how powerful it can be to track Smart Money. You don’t need to be a biotech analyst or wait for a press conference to see the writing on the wall. The flow is already tipping the hand.

Why These Trades Matter

Both the HTZ and LLY trades tell the same story: Smart Money speaks first — if you’re paying attention.

In HTZ, someone bought a sleepy name and stuck with it as it dipped. That’s not normal behavior unless there’s a reason. The options didn’t lie.

In LLY, the timing was everything. Huge calls right before a headline that sent the stock ripping. That’s not a guess. That’s informed capital making a move before the rest of the market catches on.

What stood out in both? Directional plays. Bought at the ask. Unusual size. Near-term expiration. 

These are the markers I look for every day on the OMEN Scanner. You don’t have to chase them all. 

But when every one of these ingredients lines up, it’s always worth a second look.

You don’t need to predict anything. You just need to spot the patterns and get good at identifying conviction — because that’s what Smart Money trades with. 

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

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*Past performance does not indicate future results