not uncommon to see volatile moves in months leading up to option expiry time. usually if it's within reasonable distance to strike price, newsflow events lined up around the right time, overall market sentiment helping, then the big boys behind get perfect ingredients to stage a show
incentives to try get action happening is usually management/mates/families/employees/associates/brokers/consultants/parties who helped with the vend are holding a whole heap of options and need liquidity event for orderly exit.
there's the cash part also that everyone keeps saying companies surely want options exercised, but not many can hold off to finish line in the years I watched them despite many more showing early promises. Only two I can remember that actually brought cash in after massive run ups
if you can be bothered, try check out history of RMXO in the 6 months leading up to expiry in Jun this year, that is a classic near term expiry option play. pretty much just traded enough volume in RMXO to turn over the option register 1-2 times.
most exciting ones in the past few years: RMXO, PDYOB, DTMO. CAPO years back being the master of em all, up 300-600 times in a couple of days/weeks from memory
NXROA hopefully they need much bigger mass volume yet. another interesting case to watch and add to my "library of devils" LOL
