Traders Take To Angie’s List Options
by Option Review - December 5th, 2011 3:13 pm
Today’s tickers: ANGI, DRI & AEO
ANGI - Angie’s List, Inc. – Demand for Angie’s List options, which have been available for trading for less than one week, is on the rise today. Shares in the operator of same-named website that aggregates consumer ratings for local service providers such as electricians and plumbers rose 3.7% to stand at $14.53 in early-afternoon trade. The stock ended the month of November below its $13.00 IPO price, but has come back to life in December, rallying back above its initial IPO this past Friday. The Internet company’s shares continued their ascent on Monday, but call selling by one strategist suggests he sees little chance the stock will achieve new record highs by January 2012 expiration. The trader appears to have sold 800 calls at the Jan. 2012 $17.5 strike for a premium of $0.90 apiece. The full amount of premium received on the transaction is safe in the investor’s wallet as long as Angie’s List shares trade below $17.50 at expiration day next month. Shares in ANGI would need to jump 26.6% to top the upper breakeven price of $18.40 in order for the investor to start losing money on the position.
DRI - Darden Restaurants, Inc. – Options traders appear to be gearing up for shares in the operator of Red Lobster and Olive Garden to rise over the next couple of weeks to December expiration. Shares in Darden Restaurants, Inc. increased 0.90% to stand at $47.95 as of 11:50 AM in New York. The stock has rallied more than 7.0% in the past six trading session. Investors hungry for additional gains in the price of the underlying snapped up more than 2,300 calls at the Dec. $50 strike for an average premium of $0.35 a-pop. Call buyers stand prepared to profit should shares in Darden climb…
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DiggBoeing Bears Bulk Up On Put Options Ahead Of Earnings
by Option Review - October 24th, 2011 1:33 pm
Today’s tickers: BA, AEO, BP & TOT
BA - The Boeing Co. – Weekly put options covering the commercial airline manufacturer are active ahead of Boeing’s third-quarter earnings report ahead of the opening bell on Wednesday. Shares in Boeing rallied earlier this morning, but have since turned negative to stand 0.20% lower on the session at $64.46 as of 11:25 am EDT. Put players may be picking up downside protection ahead of the earnings release should the report fail disappoint at mid-week. Traders purchased nearly 500 in-the-money puts at the Oct.’28 $65 strike for an average premium of $1.63 each, and picked up some 2,000 puts at the Oct.’28 $62.5 strike at an average premium of $0.78 apiece. Put volume at each strike is far exceeds open interest levels. Investors long the contracts may profit at expiration day if BA’s shares trade below the average breakeven prices of $63.37 and $61.72, respectively. Meanwhile, traders doubting the stock will tank on the earnings report, sold 2,196 puts at the Oct.’28 $57.5 strike to pocket premium of $0.11 per contract. Put sellers keep the premium received on the transaction as long as shares in The Boeing Company top $57.50 at expiration day this week. Traders short the puts could wind up having shares of the underlying put to them at expiration should the stock drop 10.8% from the current price of $64.46 to trade below the $57.50 strike price.
AEO - American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. – Call options on American Eagle Outfitters are on-trend with investors positioning for shares in the teen retailer to rally during the next four weeks to November expiration. American Eagle is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings ahead of the open on November 17. Shares in AEO are currently up 3.1% at $13.40 as of 11:10 am in New York. Call buying and put selling in the front month ensued within minutes of the morning bell. Investors expecting shares in the apparel and accessories retailer to increase snapped up roughly 1,800 calls at the Nov. $14 strike for an average premium of $0.46 each. Trading traffic in near-term calls was heaviest at the Nov. $15 strike, where more than 8,900 contracts changed hands against open interest of 4,829 positions. It looks like most of the Nov. $15 strike calls were purchased for an average premium of $0.22 apiece. Call buyers profit at expiration in the event that AEO’s shares surge 13.6% to…
Massive Trade in American Eagle Calls Commands Attention
by Option Review - July 7th, 2011 4:01 pm
Today’s tickers: AEO, AMKR, SWFT & ELX
AEO - American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. – Options on apparel retailer American Eagle are some of the most active today after one big player traded 65,000 February contract call options on the stock. Shares in the name surged 9.1% to an intraday high of $14.32 after June retail sales for apparel and teen stores came in far better than estimated. The run up in the price of the underlying today as well as the rise in implied volatility on the stock seem to have set the stage for the massive position initiated in AEO options. The trader sold some 65,000 calls at the February $15 strike, against nearly nonexistent open interest, to pocket premium of $1.10 per contract. Premium received on the trade amounts to $7.15 million, which the investor keeps as long as the calls expire worthless at expiration next year. The investor responsible for the transaction sees shares likely trading below $15.00 over the next eight months, but is on the hook to deliver a staggering 6.5 million shares of stock should the calls land in-the-money at expiration.
American Eagle’s shares spent the majority of their days trading above $15.00 from around February 10 through May 5. It seems reasonable to suspect the stock could once again rally above that level, particularly given the occasional bouts of takeover rumors that have pushed shares higher in the past. The enormity of the transaction and the risk of potentially needing to fulfill the contractual obligation to deliver stock at $15.00, regardless of how expensive shares could be in the open market at that time, may mean the investor responsible for the trade is long the stock and selling covered calls. In this scenario the trader is happy to pocket the rich premium…
Bullish Player Goes for Second Helping of Kraft Call Options
by Option Review - May 20th, 2011 4:42 pm
Today’s tickers: KFT, GG, AEO & STEC
KFT - Kraft Foods, Inc. – Retail-therapy may be less attractive today following disappointing reports from industry giants such as The Gap, Inc., but options traders are still managing to enhance bullish spirits by turning to food instead. Kraft Foods popped up on our scanners today due to heavy trading traffic in June contract call options. It looks like one player is extending optimism on the stock, having purchased call options on Kraft five weeks prior, on April 15. Shares in Kraft Foods increased as much as 1.3% this afternoon to touch an intraday and new 52-week high of $35.44. It appears the investor purchased June $34 strike calls five weeks ago for an average premium of $0.40 per contract when shares in the name were hovering around $33.29. Kraft’s shares rallied 6.45% in the past five weeks to touch today’s new 52-week high, but the value of the June $34 strike calls has increased more than three-fold during the same time period. Some 7,000 call options at the June $34 strike were sold today for an average premium of $1.46 each. If we assume the call seller and buyer are one and the same, net profits on the position amount to $1.06 per contract. Next, it looks like a fresh batch of roughly 7,000 call options were purchased up at the higher June $36 strike for an average premium of $0.25 per contract. Profits on the fresh bullish stance kick in at expiration next month as long as Kraft’s shares rally another 2.3% to exceed $36.25 within the next six weeks. Other bullish players purchased some 1,400 in-the-money calls at the June $33 strike for an average premium of $2.44 each. Another strategist appears to be ditching a bearish position on Kraft Foods by unraveling a ratio put spread in the September contract. Options implied volatility on Kraft trimmed 3.5% to stand at 31.33% this afternoon.…
Bearish Player Targets Verigy Ltd. Put Options
by Option Review - March 2nd, 2011 4:32 pm
Today’s tickers: VRGY, AEO, FAST & XLK
VRGY - Verigy Ltd. – A sizable put spread on the maker of chip-testing equipment suggests one option strategist is prepared for shares in Verigy Ltd. to drop ahead of April expiration. Shares in Singapore-based Verigy are currently up 0.85% to stand at $13.03 perhaps after analysts at JPMorgan upgraded the semiconductor sector to ‘constructive’ from ‘cautious.’ Verigy looked to acquire LTX-Credence Corp. back in November in an all-stock deal that valued its takeover target at $500 million including net debt, but those plans may fall through as Japanese chip-testing equipment giant, Advantest Corp., extended its own offer to acquire Verigy at a substantial premium of $15.00 a share, up from an original bid of $12.50 a share, at the end of last year. The merger of Verigy and Advantest would form the largest manufacturer of semiconductor testing equipment in the world. Perhaps the put player populating Verigy today is prepared to see shares in the name drop if the deal with Advantest ultimately falls through in the next six weeks to April expiration. The investor purchased 5,200 puts at the April $13 strike for a premium of $1.00 each, and sold the same number of puts at the lower April $11 strike at a premium of $0.25 apiece. Net premium paid to initiate the spread amounts to $0.75 per contract. Thus, the trader starts making money should Verigy’s shares decline 6.00% to breach the effective breakeven price of $12.25 ahead of April expiration day. Maximum potential profits of $1.25 per contract pad the investor’s wallet in the event that shares in VRGY plummet 15.6% from the current price of $13.03 to trade below $11.00 by expiration next month.
AEO - American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. – Call options on the casual clothing retailer are…
Bullish Player Adjusts Sizable Stance in EMC Corp. Call Options
by Option Review - February 10th, 2011 5:05 pm
Today’s tickers: EMC, MHS, AA & AEO
EMC - EMC Corp. – Large blocks of in- and out-of-the-money call options exchanged on EMC Corp. during the first 25 minutes of the trading session appear to be the work of one investor taking profits off the table on the one hand, and ultimately extending bullish sentiment on the stock on the other. Shares in the provider of information infrastructure technologies and solutions are currently up a slightly 0.10% to stand at a fresh 52-week high of $27.11 just before 12:00pm. It looks like the options trader originally purchased 30,000 calls at the April $24 strike for $1.00 per contract back on January 3, 2011, when shares in the name were trading around $23.23. The subsequent rally in the price of the underlying lifted premium on the now deep in-the-money calls, allowing the investor to sell all 30,000 call options at that strike today for a premium of $2.86 apiece. Net profits on the transaction amount to $1.86 per contract. Next, the trader paid a premium of $0.83 per contract to buy a fresh batch of 30,000 calls up at the July $29 strike. The investor starts to make money on the new bullish stance in the event that EMC Corp.’s shares increase another 10.0% to exceed the effective breakeven share price of $29.83 by expiration day in July.
MHS - Medco Health Solutions Inc. – The healthcare company and provider of pharmacy services popped up on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner this morning after one strategist initiated a delta neutral strategy using calls, puts and Medco stock. Shares in the name are currently up 0.50% to arrive at $62.29 in early afternoon trade. It looks like the investor purchased 295,800 shares in MHS at a price of $61.88 each, purchased 5,100 puts at the January 2012 $55 strike for a premium of $3.60 each, and sold the same number of call options up at the January 2012 $72.5 strike at a premium of $2.50 apiece,…
Bullish Players Sink their Teeth into Krispy Kreme Calls
by Option Review - December 2nd, 2010 4:23 pm
Today’s tickers: KKD, JPM, NYT & AEO
KKD - Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. – Bulls are bingeing on Krispy Kreme call options today after the firm sweetened its outlook for 2011 operating income to a range of $17 million to $20 million, up from previous estimates of $13 million to $17 million. The maker of the popular Original Glazed doughnut said it earned $2.4 million in the third quarter, or $0.03 a share, after the closing bell on Wednesday. Analysts, on average, were expecting KKD to post a third-quarter loss of $0.01 a share. Shares in Krispy Kreme jumped 19.8% following earnings to hit an intraday- and new 52-week high of $7.38 today. The better-than-expected earnings report and rosier outlook for next year’s performance inspired strong demand for call options on the doughnut maker. More than 5,480 options, nearly all of them calls, changed hands on Krispy Kreme by 12:55 pm in New York, versus overall previously existing open interest of 6,271 contracts. Investors purchased more than 1,340 calls at the December $7.5 strike for an average premium of $0.22 a-pop. Call buyers make money if Krispy Kreme’s shares rally another 4.6% over today’s high of $7.38 to surpass the average breakeven point at $7.72 by December expiration. Bullish sentiment spread to the January 2011 $7.5 strike where another 1,040 call options were picked up at an average premium of $0.34 apiece. Investors holding these contracts are poised to profit should shares in KKD surge 6.3% to trade above $7.84 ahead of expiration day in January. Krispy Kreme’s overall reading of options implied volatility is lower by 9.2% to stand at 52.47% as of 1:00 pm in New York.
JPM - JPMorgan Chase & Co. – Shares of the financial services firm are on the mend, and one bullish options strategist…
Boo-yah for Limelight Networks Inspires Demand for Calls
by Option Review - September 30th, 2010 4:14 pm
Today’s tickers: LLNW, LPS, TEVA, XRT, MON & AEO
LLNW - Limelight Networks, Inc. – Call options on the provider of Internet distribution services for video, music, games and other media and entertainment content are in high demand today with shares rising as much as 14.8% at the start of the trading session to touch an intraday high of $6.35. Limelight’s shares jumped after “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer said he’s bullish on the firm’s long term prospects. LLNW’s shares tapered off significantly during the course of the day and are currently up a lesser 5.60% to stand at $5.84 with less than 30 minutes to go before the final bell. Bullish investors picked up 1,000 in-the-money calls at the October $5.0 strike for an average premium of $1.11 each. Call buyers at this strike are poised to profit should LLNW’s shares exceed the effective breakeven price of $6.11 by October expiration. Trading traffic in calls was heaviest, however, at the December $5.0 strike where some 4,600 in-the-money calls were purchased at an average premium of $1.51 a-pop. Investors long the calls make money if the price of the underlying stock jumps 11.5% over the current price of $5.84 to surpass the average breakeven point at $6.51 by expiration day in October. Options implied volatility is still up 12.1% on the day to arrive at 83.75%, but earlier jumped 25.92% to touch a high of 94.10% today.
LPS - Lender Processing Services, Inc. – The provider of integrated technology and outsourced services to the mortgage lending industry attracted a bevy of long-term bearish put buyers this afternoon. Shares are down 0.40% at $33.31 heading toward the close, but did manage to eke out an early-morning rally of 0.25% to touch an intraday high of $33.52 perhaps after being rated new ‘buy’ at Fagenson & Co. with a 12-month target share price of $38.00. Put players may be buying the puts outright because they expect the firm’s shares to decline, or they could be building up downside…
Rumor Mill Generates Options Feeding Frenzy on U.S. Steel Corp.
by Option Review - August 18th, 2010 4:39 pm
Today’s tickers: X, BBY, AEO & CREE
X – United States Steel Corp. – Unconfirmed rumors that ArcelorMittal may be interested in buying U.S. Steel at $80.00 per share inspired an all-out options feeding frenzy on the Pittsburgh, PA-based steel producer. U.S. Steel’s shares rallied as much as 6.7% in the first half of the trading session to reach an intraday high of $50.50 as of 11:50 am ET. The churning of the rumor mill, increased demand for the steel maker’s options and the significant move in the price of the underlying stock lifted the overall reading of options implied volatility on U.S. Steel 20.1% to 55.54% just before noon in New York trading. Call options on the stock are the clear favorite today and are changing hands 3.6 times for each single put option in play with investors exchanging nearly 200,000 contracts on U.S. Steel by 12:15 pm ET. Investors initiating bullish stances purchased in- and out-of-the-money call options and sold out-of-the-money puts. The August $50 strike, which currently has volume of 21,200 calls, is the most popular as of early afternoon. At least 9,800 of those call options were purchased for an average premium of $0.82 per contract. Traders positioning for U.S. Steel’s shares to continue higher ahead of Friday’s expiration picked up at least 4,300 calls at the August $55 strike for an average premium of $0.46 each. Another 3,500 calls were coveted at the August $60 strike, while some 3,000 call options were purchased at the August $65 strike price. Investors may or may not intend to hold these positions overnight. It will be interesting to see, by examining changes in open interest at these strikes tomorrow, whether traders are buying into the rumors rather than initiating intraday transactions to take advantage of the feeding frenzy while it lasts. Options traders holding the August $50 strike calls may profit if U.S. Steel’s shares rally above the average breakeven price of $50.82 ahead of expiration in a couple of days. Finally, September $55 strike calls were the hot-ticket item in that expiry. As of 12:30 pm ET, more than 11,700 calls changed hands at that strike, with at least 4,500 of those contracts purchased by investors at an average premium of $1.37 each. Traders long the calls make money if the price of the underlying stock jumps 11.6% over today’s high of $50.50 to surpass the average…
Thrill-Ride Thursday – Retail Sales and Maybe Some Jobs?
by Phil - January 7th, 2010 7:50 am
Beware the data!
The first thing you will hear this morning is that COST had a 9% rise in sales, with International sales up a whopping 25%. What you are less likely to hear is that COST sells a lot of gasoline, which has doubled in price since last December and, excluding inflation in gas prices, same-store sales are up just 2%, a tremendous miss of the 7.9% expected. Out of the 25% increase in International sales, 15% is attributable to currency exchange so up 10% is the real number.
This is nothing against Costco, I like that company, but it’s a caution sign to look carefully at the retail numbers we’re going to be seeing today as there are several outside factors that are skewing the results drastically – to the point where the numbers, whether good or bad, are almost meaningless. It’s also good to keep in mind that we are comping sales to the WORST CHRISTMAS EVER so anything less than double digit gains over last year is still pretty sad.
Mish did a good job yesterday of pointing out the statistical nonsense known as the Non-Farm Payroll Report, where "Birth/Death" model revisions that were as much as 356,000 a month last year (January) make the data beyond useless for any kind of serious analysis. Nonetheless, analyze it they will and if we manage to avoid posting our 24th CONSECUTIVE month of losses, surely they will be pouring champagne on CNBC and acting like Capitalism has once again triumphed over evil (evil being people without money who still want to live with dignity).
Speaking of dignity – if you know 100 people in Nevada then, statistically, 3 of them went bankrupt this year, up 61% from last year as our economy "recovers". In Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, just 2 of your 100 friends filed while California, surprisingly "only" had one in 66 households file for bankruptcy so you can go almost a whole day and not run into someone who lost everything in California – too bad the same can’t be said for the State overall! California needs $21Bn over the next 18 months to keep the lights on. This doesn’t seem so bad, GMAC is losing $13Bn this quarter and we’re bailing them out but if we bail out CA then NY, NJ and 47 other states will come knocking to the tune…
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Philip R. Davis is a founder Phil's Stock World, a stock and options trading site that teaches the art of options trading to newcomers and devises advanced strategies for expert traders...
Ilene is editor and affiliate program
coordinator for PSW. She manages the Favorites backup site
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