Icahn Rumored To Be Eyeing Whole Foods

Rumors of Carl Icahn taking an activist stake in Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) sent shares soaring Tuesday morning.

The stock, which was trading lower at $38 before the rumors hit the tape, rose sharply and briefly traded above $40.

Stock volume surged on the rumor. Option volume was also enormous, with the August weekly calls that expire Friday trading over 15,000 contracts so far.

Sources told Yahoo that Icahn has denied the rumor and "has absolutely no interest in Whole Foods whatsoever," but the street still has a bit of a premium in the shares.

The stock traded recently at $39.06, up 2.95 percent for the day.