On February 25, 2026, Apple Inc. (AAPL) exhibited strong bullish momentum, characterized by a steady "stair-step" recovery from an early morning low of $270.55. The stock consistently traded above its 20-period SMA for the majority of the session, peaking at $274.94 during the mid-afternoon. While there was a minor late-day pullback, Apple maintained its technical strength, settling at $273.75 with a positive 0.96% daily gain.
The derivatives market for the $272.50 strike contracts (expiring Feb 27) directly reflected this upward price action:
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$272.50 Call Option: These contracts saw a significant surge as the stock moved deep into-the-money. After bottoming out at $1.98 in the morning, the calls climbed to an intraday high of $3.90 before settling at $3.43, marking a 19.93% increase. The MACD on the call chart showed consistent bullish divergence, supporting the overall uptrend.
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$272.50 Put Option: Conversely, bearish traders faced heavy losses as the stock price moved away from the strike. These puts opened at a high of $3.30 but steadily decayed throughout the day, hitting a low of $1.35. By the closing bell, the puts had lost 48.85% of their value, settling at $1.56 as the stock's stability crushed the remaining premium.
Overall, the session was defined by high-volume accumulation in the morning and a stable consolidation phase near the daily highs. With the underlying stock's MACD staying largely in positive territory, the day provided a clear win for trend-following call holders while penalizing those betting on a reversal.
