Abercrombie & Fitch Puts Pop As Shares Tumble
by Option Review - November 3rd, 2011 1:42 pm
Today’s tickers: ANF, XRT & MDVN
ANF - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. – Bearish positioning in Abercrombie & Fitch Co. options this morning suggests the stock, which dropped the most in more than a decade, may continue to unravel in the final months of 2011. Shares in ANF plunged 22.5% to $57.33 after the retailer said sales at its European flagship stores fell last quarter, indicating turmoil in the region is hitting the clothing and accessories seller where it hurts. Abercrombie reports third-quarter earnings ahead of the open on November 16. Options traders positioning for shares in ANF to extend losses in the near term snapped up deep out-of-the-money put options in the November contract. Investors purchased around 675 puts at the Nov. $45 strike for an average premium of $0.11 each, purchased another 730 puts at the Nov. $48 strike at an average premium of $0.28 apiece, and bought around 500 put options for an average premium of $0.38 per contract at the Nov. $50 strike. Bears prepared to profit in the event that shares tumble more than 10.0% off their lowest point today within the next couple of weeks picked up roughly 800 put options at the Nov. $50 strike for an average premium of $0.57 each. Buyers of the Nov. $50 put profit at expiration in the event that ANF’s shares drop 13.8% to breach the breakeven price of $49.43. Finally, call selling at the Nov. $60 strike suggests some investors doubt Abercrombie’s shares will rebound above that level by expiration day. It looks like traders sold some 1,440 calls at that strike to pocket premium of $2.95 per contract. Call sellers keep the full amount of premium received as long as the contracts expire worthless at expiration.
XRT - SPDR S&P Retail ETF – The put ‘fly spread is the largest transaction in options covering the Retail SPDR, for a third straight session. It looks like the same investor responsible for large bearish prints in XRT put options on Tuesday and Wednesday, is today purchasing the Nov. $43/$47/$51 put butterfly spread for an average net premium of $0.64 per contract. The strategist augmented the position, buying 25,000 puts at Nov. $43 and $51 strikes, and selling 50,000 puts at the central Nov. $47 strike, all for a net premium outlay of $0.64 apiece. The aim of the trade is the same, though the breakeven points are slightly different. The spread…
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DiggBP, Total Call Options In Play For A Second Day
by Option Review - October 21st, 2011 3:01 pm
Today’s tickers: BP, TOT, CHS, CJES & ANF
BP & TOT - BP PLC & Total SA – Intriguing activity in call options covering Europe’s second- and third-largest oil companies, BP and Total, carried over from Thursday’s trading day to the final session of the week. Shares in both companies are up on the day, with BP gaining 1.8% to $42.07, and Total rising 1.1% to $52.36, by 12:35 pm EDT. Yesterday we noted one strategist’s dispersion trade; selling calls on Total and buying calls on BP, in a position that seemed to suggest fruitful months ahead for BP and less-stellar share price performance at Total.
News out on BP today may support such bullish sentiment. The company was reportedly granted approval by U.S. regulators to once again engage in oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, its first such approval since the company’s disastrous offshore spill in 2010. BP is slated to report its performance for the third quarter ahead of the opening bell on October 25, while Total reveals its numbers pre-market on October 28.
The call activity in both names this morning is almost identical to that observed on Thursday. It looks like the investor sold some 7,600 Total calls at the May 2012 $55 strike for a premium of $3.30 each, and purchased around 8,400 calls on BP at the April $44 strike for a premium of $2.89 apiece. The strategist walks away with the full amount of premium received for writing the TOT call options as long as shares in the French oil company fail to exceed $55.00 at expiration in May. Meanwhile, profits may be available on the long BP call options should shares in the name rally another 11.5% to surpass the effective breakeven price of $46.89 by expiration in April 2012. Options implied volatility readings on both stocks are down roughly 6.0% as of 12:50 pm in New York.
CHS - Chico’s FAS, Inc. – Bullish options players have taken a shine to the retailer of private-branded apparel and accessories today, with shares in the Fort Myers, Florida-based company rallying 2.25% to $12.35 on a risk-on day for U.S. equities. Investors positioning for Chico’s shares to extend gains snapped up call options in the November contract. The most heavily populated option is the Nov. $14 strike call, which changed hands upward of 4,700 times in the first half of the session against open interest of 653 contracts. Options…
Bears Mine For Put Options On Agnico-Eagle As Shares Nosedive
by Option Review - October 19th, 2011 2:22 pm
Today’s tickers: AEM, ANF, LEN & ALTR
AEM - Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. – News that Agnico-Eagle Mines indefinitely suspended operations at its Goldex mine in Quebec took the luster out of shares in the gold mining company today. The stock fell nearly 20.0% to a multi-year low of $45.78 at its lowest point of the session. Some options traders are positioning for the stock to look even more tarnished by the end of the week. Meanwhile, demand for longer-dated put options on Agnico-Eagle Mines suggests the shares may remain under pressure through AEM’s third-quarter earnings release next Wednesday, for the remainder of 2011, and into the New Year.
Near-term bears jockeyed for put options in the October contract. The Oct. $45 and $47.5 strikes are two of the most active, with the majority of positions in each largely initiated by buyers. Traders exchanged roughly 1,400 in-the-money puts at the Oct. $47.5 strike against open interest of 317 contracts. These contracts were purchased roughly 930 times for an average premium of $0.89 a-pop. Investors long the puts may profit if shares in AEM trade below the average breakeven price of $46.61 at expiration later this week. The Oct. $45 strike put is the most active in the front month, with more than 2,100 of the contracts in play against open interest of 578 lots. Investors purchased most of the put options for an average premium of $0.55 each, and may make money on the bearish position in the event that shares in the gold mining company slip beneath the average breakeven point at $44.45 by expiration day.
Buyers of November contract put options at the $40, $35 and $32.5 strikes may see the value of their deep out-of-the-money options rally should the company’s third-quarter earnings or forward guidance disappoint. Finally, longer-term pessimism cropped up in the Jan. 2012 $45 strike put where some 1,700 contracts were purchased for an average premium of $3.78 apiece. The investor or investors holding the put options may profit at expiration next year if shares in AEM slide 10.0% off today’s low of $45.78 to breach the average breakeven point on the downside at $41.22. Shares in Agnico-Eagle Mines last traded below $41.22 back in December 2008. The overall reading of options implied volatility on the stock popped up 26.7% to 57.2% in the first half of the session.
ANF - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. – Sizable prints in Abercrombie…
Bulls Eye Rebound For Shares In Toyota, Sony
by Option Review - September 9th, 2011 2:11 pm
Today’s tickers: TM, ANF, MUR & SNE
TM - Toyota Motor Corp. – A bull call spread on automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., sees the stock potentially rallying nearly 11.0% by October expiration. Shares in the Japanese car company fell 2.4% this morning to $67.70, bringing the stock’s total decline since July 21 up to 20.0%. The bullish spread on Toyota involved the purchase of 2,500 calls at the Sept. $70 strike for a premium of $1.90 each, and the sale of the same number of calls up at the Sept. $75 strike at a premium of $0.49 apiece. Net premium paid to initiate the spread amounts to $1.41 per contract, thus positioning the investor to profit should TM’s shares rise 5.5% over the current price of $67.70 to surpass the effective breakeven point at $71.41 at expiration. The spread prepares the options player to pocket maximum potential profits of $3.59 per contract at expiration in October should shares in the automaker jump 10.8% to trade above $75.00. A third leg of 2,500 calls in play on TM today suggest that the investor responsible for the debit spread may also be adjusting a previously established bullish stance on the stock. The 2,500 calls exchanged at the Sept. $72.5 strike for a premium of $0.13 each may be a closing sale. Open interest in the Sept. $72.5 strike call indicates the same number of contracts were purchased for a premium of $1.81 each back on August 22. Those calls were marked as part of a spread. Perhaps the investor is giving up on the near-term pop required to push those calls in-the-money by next Friday, in favor of the October call spread. Options implied volatility on Toyota rose 7.5% this afternoon to stand at 33.17% by 12:55 pm ET.
ANF - Abercrombie…
Bulls Position for Near-Term Rally in TJX Companies
by Option Review - January 5th, 2011 4:58 pm
Today’s tickers: TJX, TIVO, BP, CSC, ANF, GT & OCR
TJX - TJX Companies, Inc. – Near-term bullish options traders are betting on a rebound in shares of the operator of the largest off-price retail chains, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, by picking up call options in the January contract this afternoon. Shares in TJX Companies fell 1.30% in the final hour of the session to $43.01, recovering off an earlier intraday low of $42.55. TJX shares are down 4.0% since December 30, and have lost a total of 8.9% since November 5, 2010, when shares touched a 6-month high of $47.21. Investors positioning for a rally in TJX Companies are perhaps hopeful shares will rebound following the release of December same-store sales data. Optimistic traders scooped up more than 2,600 calls at the January $44 strike for an average premium of $0.49 apiece. Call buyers at this strike stand ready to accrue profits should shares rise 3.4% to exceed the average breakeven price of $44.49 ahead of January expiration. Bullish sentiment spread to the higher January $45 strike where nearly 1,000 call options were purchased at an average premium of $0.24 a-pop. Higher-strike call buyers make money if TJX shares rally 5.2% to trade above the average breakeven point at $45.24 before the contracts expire in a couple of weeks.
TIVO - TiVo, Inc. – Massive prints in deep out-of-the-money call options on TiVo today appear to be the work of outright bullish players speculating that shares in the television technology firm could more than double by May expiration. Shares in TiVo are up sharply by 8.07% this afternoon to stand at $9.78 as of 2:40pm in New York. TiVo, Inc. is participating in the Citi 21st Annual Global Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference today. Investors hoping to see TiVo’s shares rebound to prices not seen since April of 2010 purchased debit call spreads during the first half of the trading session. Approximately 20,000 calls were picked up at the May $17.5 strike for an average…
Options Traders Bombard Research in Motion Ltd.
by Option Review - October 26th, 2010 4:04 pm
Today’s tickers: RIMM, CAH, AVNR, HRBN, ANF & ADBE
RIMM - Research in Motion Ltd. – Investors are crowding the options arena on the Blackberry maker today with shares in Research in Motion rising as much as 9.5% earlier this afternoon to an intraday high of $56.62. The price of the underlying stock climbed the most in more than 10 months after an analyst remarked that the company’s Playbook tablet computer could give rival Apple Inc.’s iPad a run for its money. Shares are currently up 6.2% to stand at $54.94 with 45 minutes remaining before the final bell. November contract call options are by far the most active. Volume generated in near-term out-of-the-money calls today trumps previously existing open interest levels in all cases. Investors are buying more of those OTM calls than selling, but we will have to wait to see how open interest levels shift tomorrow to determine what portion of today’s activity represents intraday moves as compared to positions held by investors overnight. Bullish traders are also selling put options at the November $52.5 and $55 strikes, which suggests they expect shares to stay afloat, at least through expiration next month. Optimistic options players also made their mark in longer-dated contracts. Some investors initiated bull call spreads, buying approximately 2,000 calls at the December $65 strike for an average premium of $0.79 each, and selling about the same number of calls at the higher December $75 strike for an average premium of $0.21 apiece. Call spreaders are poised to profit should RIMM’s shares jump 15.8% over today’s high of $56.62 and trade above the average breakeven price of $65.58 by December expiration. Maximum potential profits of $9.42 per contract are attainable if the Blackberry producer’s shares rally 32.5% in the next couple of months to trade above $75.00 by expiration day. The Canada-based firm’s shares last traded above $75.00 back in March of 2010. Investors exchanged more than 296,000 option contracts on Research in Motion before 3:30 p.m. in…
Investor Optimism Apparent in Yahoo! Options Action
by Option Review - July 8th, 2010 5:59 pm
Today’s tickers: YHOO, PG, MWW, PWER, IYR, HRB, ANF, CSC & EWH
YHOO – Yahoo!, Inc. – The online media company made an appearance on our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner after one investor initiated a long-term bullish stance on the stock. Yahoo’s shares increased 1.10% to stand at $14.56 by 3:05 pm (ET). Optimism on the operator of one of the most heavily trafficked Internet destinations was perhaps inspired by words from the firm’s CFO, Tim Morse, who intends to end the company’s pattern of poor M&A decisions. Morse addressed Yahoo’s history of overpaying for acquisitions and later selling those assets at a disadvantageous price by announcing plans to improve the company’s return on invested capital to 18% to 24% in 2013 from approximately 5% in 2009. One optimistic options trader opted to purchase a plain-vanilla debit call spread on Yahoo! in order to position for share price appreciation through expiration in January 2011. The investor picked up 5,000 in-the-money calls at the January 2011 $14 strike for a premium of $1.92 apiece, and sold the same number of calls at the higher January 2011 $17.5 strike for a premium of $0.58 each. Net premium paid to establish the spread amounts to $1.34 per contract. Thus, the bullish trader makes money if Yahoo’s shares rally 5.35% to trade above the effective breakeven point on the spread at $15.34 by expiration day in January 2011. The investor exits with maximum potential profits of $2.16 per contract if the online media company’s shares surge 20.2% over the current price of $14.56 to trade above $17.50 by expiration.
PG – The Proctor & Gamble Co. – Investor demand for call options on the global provider of branded packaged consumer goods surged during afternoon trading with options participants exchanging more than 4.4 calls on the stock to each single put option in play thus far in the session. PG’s shares rallied 1.7% to $61.85 by 3:30 pm (ET). It looks like bullish players expecting Proctor & Gamble’s shares to trade at a new 52-week high by August expiration purchased at least 17,900 calls options at the August $65 strike for an average premium of $0.21 per contract. Call buyers are poised to profit should shares of the underlying stock jump 5.4%, surpass the stock’s current 52-week high of $64.10, and trade above the average breakeven price of $65.21 by August expiration.…
Bulls Eye Caterpillar, Inc. Put and Call Options
by Option Review - June 15th, 2010 4:10 pm
Today’s tickers: CAT, BBY, NVTL, XLF, GME, ANF & GMCR
CAT – Caterpillar, Inc. – Bullish options traders stampeded machinery maker, Caterpillar, Inc., today with the firm’s shares rallying more than 2.75% to stand at $62.70 as of 12:55 pm (ET). CAT’s shares increase as much as 3.4% to touch an intraday high of $63.10 in the first half of the trading day. Near-term optimists sold at least 2,200 puts at the June $62.5 strike for an average premium of $1.06 apiece. Investors selling the puts could be ditching downside protection, or may be selling the contracts outright to pocket available put premium. CAT-bulls also purchased some 1,800 now in-the-money calls at the June $62.5 strike for an average premium of $0.88 apiece. Call buyers at this strike price are poised to profit should shares of the tractor manufacturer rally above the average breakeven price of $63.38 before the contracts expire on Friday. Caterpillar’s overall reading of options implied volatility is down 5.3% to 38.11% in afternoon trading.
BBY – Best Buy Co. – Contrarian options players are taking advantage of the more than 6.5% decline in Best Buy’s shares to $38.37 today by initiating near-term bullish transactions in the June contract. Shares of the world’s largest consumer-electronics retailer fell as much as 7.6% to touch down at an intraday low of $37.93 after the firm reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter profits of $0.36 a share, which underwhelmed analysts expecting average net income of $0.50 a share for the quarter. Best Buy bulls expecting the electronics retailer’s shares to rebound purchased 1,100 calls at the June $39 strike at an average premium of $0.54 apiece. Shares of the underlying stock must rally 3.05% from the current price of $38.37 before June $39 strike call buyers start to make money above the average breakeven point at $39.54. Buying interest spread to the higher June $40 strike where 2,300 calls were coveted for an average premium of $0.25 per contract. Investors long the calls profit if BBY’s shares surge 4.9% to trade above the average breakeven price of $40.25 by June expiration on Friday. Other optimistic investors engaged in put selling to take advantage of richer available premium. Bulls shed 3,600 puts at the June $38 strike to pocket an average premium of $0.53 per contract. Put sellers at this strike keep the full premium received on the transaction as long as BBY’s shares…
MGM Mirage Losses Inspire Downside Plays in Options
by Option Review - February 18th, 2010 4:06 pm
Today’s tickers: MGM, ANF, JPM, XLP, XNPT, HANS & SIRI
MGM – MGM Mirage, Inc. – The Las Vegas Strip’s largest casino owner posted a wider-than-expected fourth-quarter loss of $0.25 per share, which underwhelmed analysts anticipating an average loss of just $0.14 a share. Mirage’s shares fell nearly 7% today to $10.85 following the earnings disappointment. One options investor, who does not expect MGM’s luck to change anytime soon, established a medium-term bearish trade on MGM to position for continued downward movement in the price of the underlying stock through June expiration. The trader purchased 2,000 puts at the now in-the-money June $11 strike for a premium of $1.68 apiece, and sold 2,000 puts at the lower June $8 strike for $0.52 each. The net cost of the debit put spread amounts to $1.16 per contract. Maximum available profits of $1.84 per contract accumulate for the pessimistic investor if the casino-operator’s share price slumps another 26.25% lower to $8.00 by expiration day.
ANF – Abercrombie & Fitch Co. – Short straddle plays initiated on clothing company, Abercrombie & Fitch, suggests investors expect ANF-shares to remain range-bound and anticipate lower volatility in the price of the underlying stock through March expiration. Shares of the teen and ‘tween haven for micro-mini jean skirts and pre-destroyed t-shirts rallied 1% to $35.72 today. However, straddle-sellers apparently foresee little movement for shares in either direction from the current value. Investors sold approximately 6,600 puts at the March $35 strike for an average premium of $1.44 apiece in combination with the sale of 6,600 calls at the same strike for $1.46 each. The average gross premium pocketed on the transaction amounts to $2.90 per contract. Traders retain the full premium received today if Abercrombie’s shares settle at $35.00 at expiration. Investors are vulnerable to losses, however, in the event that shares trade outside of the effective breakeven points. Losses accumulate should shares rally above the upper breakeven price of $37.90, or if the stock falls below the lower breakeven point at $32.10, ahead of expiration day in March.
JPM – JPMorgan Chase & Co. – A large-volume ratio call spread enacted on banking institution, JPMorgan Chase, indicates one big options player expects shares of the underlying stock to rally significantly by June expiration. The firm received an upgrade to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ with a 12-month target share price of $49.00 at Sandler O’Neill today as…
Natural Gas Options Trader Enacts Bullish Risk Reversal
by Option Review - February 16th, 2010 4:32 pm
Today’s tickers: UNG, IP, EEM, CAH, TRA, UAUA, USO, WFMI, BRK.B & ANF
UNG – United States Natural Gas ETF – Shares of the natural gas exchange-traded fund, which mirrors the price and performance of natural gas, are down 1.85% to $9.67 with just under one hour remaining in the trading session. Options traders initiated bullish plays in the March contract despite the dip lower in the price of the underlying shares. It looks like one investor initiated a bullish risk reversal to position for a rebound in the price per UNG share by March expiration. The trader sold 8,250 in-the-money puts at the March $10 strike for a premium of $0.64 each in order to offset the cost of buying 8,250 calls at the same strike for $0.40 apiece. The trader pockets a net credit of $0.24 per contract on the reversal, which he keeps if shares of the fund trade above $10.00 by expiration day. Additional profits are available to the upside if and when the price per share exceeds $10.00 apiece.
IP – International Paper Co. – Global paper and packaging firm, International Paper Company, enticed bullish options traders to initiate optimistic positions in the March contract as shares of the underlying stock jumped 6% in late afternoon trading to $23.92. Plain-vanilla call buying took place at the March $25 strike where upwards of 10,000 contracts were purchased for an average premium of $0.45 apiece. Call buyers stand ready to accrue profits should IP’s shares rally another 6.40% over the current value of the stock to surpass the effective breakeven point on the calls at $25.45 by March expiration.
EEM – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – Shares of the emerging markets exchange-traded fund, which generally corresponds to the price of the MSCI Emerging Markets index that was created by MSCI as a benchmark for international stock performance, rallied 2.30% to $39.32 this afternoon. June contract options activity on the EEM suggests shares may stagnate near the current price through expiration in four months. It looks like options traders sold straddles in order to pocket premium on the sale of both calls and puts. Investors sold approximately 9,100 calls at the June $39 strike for an average premium of $2.95 apiece and sold 9,100 puts at the same strike for a premium of $2.65 each. Gross premium enjoyed by straddle-sellers amounts to $5.60 per contract. Investors…
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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...
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