Which Way Wednesday – Top of the Charts Edition

by Phil - October 13th, 2010 4:20 am

Is it time to throw fundamentals out the window?  

As we went through the Sept 21st Fed minutes in yesterday’s Member chat we read some things that were AWFUL about the economy.  I went through my usual exercise of parsing out the minutes and making comments for Members and it’s been a long time since I had to use red highlights that often!  Still the market rallied, ostensibly on the premise that the economy is SO BAD, that the Fed will have no choice but to flood the economy with newly printed Dollars so that a rising tide of currency will lift all asset ships.

The boy from Zimbabwe  on the right is a multi-Trillionaire and those Trillions should be just enough to buy him a loaf of bread if he hurries to the store before they change the prices this morning.  This is what is happening to our own economy, only on a smaller scale (so far).  Our government,  like Zimbabwe, has gotten into so much debt that they can never hope to repay it but new bills keep coming in every day so – What is a government to do?  

Why print more money of course!  

Now, when a bill comes in, they just crank up the presses and drop the fresh bills in an envelope.  Unfortunately, after a while, the people who provide goods and services you and your government pay for begin to catch on that those bills are suddenly very easy to come by and they begin to demand more and more of them as exchange.  It’s a little hard to picture unless you run it into the abstract but think of it like an auction, where 5 people have $5 each to bid on 5 items.  Well those items (commodities) will get somewhere between $0 and $5 from the bidders, right?  Now, what happens if one of the bidders prints himself up $45 additional dollars?  Now he can bid $10 on each item and the other bidders will get nothing.

That’s what the top 1% are doing with commodities and other assets right now.  The assets are the same assets they were last year and the year before that.  There has been very little variation between supply and demand and demand has probably gone down a bit during the recession but that doesn’t matter as 1% of the people have MUCH…

Tags: BRCM, DV, HMY, HRB, inflation, IRM, KR, NDAQ, SNDK, SSO, TRLG, XLF

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Testy Tuesday – Fed Pop or Drop?

by Phil - September 21st, 2010 8:27 am

Isn’t this exciting? 

We popped all of our 5% levels yesterday, now all we have to do is hold them and we can start looking ahead to the 10% lines.  Just 10 days ago, on Friday the 10th, we did our last multi-chart study and I said in the morning post: "I am not TA guy but If I were a bear, I’d be pretty darned concerned about the charts as it looks to me like the 20-day moving averages are registering a short-term mistake in a generally rising trend."  Look at how those 20 dma’s have snapped up in less than 2 weeks (blue lines are mid-points, green circles are 5% levels):

So Gold and Transports are running away with SOX falling behind.  We’ve been playing the SOX up with USD, which is up 10% since I picked it in that Friday’s post but that’s been a relative underperformer for us as we nailed the bottom with a buying frenzy into the late August drop which culminated with my very bullish "September’s Dozen" from the 3rd.  There were actually 10 stocks and only 9 fit in the multi-chart (I dropped HMY, who already gained 15%) with way more than a dozen trade ideas for our Members to take advantage of the anticipated short-term moves.  Of the 10, only IRM has been laying around but we weren’t expecting a quick move on them and played a conservative April spread and took the risk on Oct $22.50 calls, which are our only loser, down 30% at .20 but I still like them if we break up from here.  

The leverage you can gain with option plays is truly stunning.  On BRCM, for example, the trade idea was a straight purchase of the Sept $32 calls for $1.25, BRCM topped out at $35.49 with the calls close to $3 on the 14th and they expired on Friday at $2.16, which is up 72%, even for people who didn’t stop out between there and up 140% that Tuesday.  That trade was a combo trade with the sale of the October $30 puts at .70 and those are down to .30 (up 57%) which are well on their way to expiring worthless for a full 100% gain.  We also took an artificial buy/write that stretched from Jan to Jan 2012 so that was 3 trade ideas on one stock – you can see how quickly we get past a dozen!

We get aggressive at the inflection points – had we…

Tags: 5% Rule, BRCM, DIA, DV, Gold, HMY, HRB, IRM, KR, NDAQ, Oil, SNDK, SPY, SWY, TRLG, USD

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TiVo Implied Volatility Jumps With Share Price Gains

by Option Review - October 23rd, 2009 4:27 pm

Today’s tickers: TIVO, ORCL, MSFT, VLO, BRCM, XLP, AMZN, MSFT & ELN

TIVO – TiVo, Inc. – Shares of the provider of technology and services for digital video recorders are soaring 8.5% higher to stand at the current price of $12.44. Investors expecting continued bullish movement in the price of the underlying purchased call options across multiple contracts. Near-term optimists picked up 6,500 calls at the November 12.5 strike for 86 cents each. Meanwhile, the higher November 15 strike had 1,600 calls coveted for about 25 cents apiece. Other traders looked to the December 12.5 strike where it seems some 5,000 calls were purchased for approximately 95 cents each. Finally, call spreads were transacted in the February 2010 contract. Investors purchased 3,000 calls at the February 12.5 strike for an average premium of 1.41 each, and sold 3,000 calls at the higher February 15 strike for about a dollar apiece. Option implied volatility on TIVO jumped 18% from an opening reading of 62% to an intraday high of 73%.

ORCL – Oracle Corp. – The software company is trading just 65 cents off the 52-week high of $22.90 today with shares up 0.25% to $22.25. Volume of 19,811 calls at the out-of-the-money November 23 strike exceeds existing open interest at that strike of 16,224 lots. The call activity appears to be the work of bullish investors buying approximately 14,500 calls for an average premium of 31 cents apiece. The December contract has also attracted the attention of option bulls. It looks like 9,000 calls were scooped up at the December 24 strike for about 40 cents each. Investors holding these contracts will profit by expiration if shares of ORCL surge 9.5% from the current price to $24.40.

MSFT – Microsoft Corp. – Investors are piling into call options on the world’s largest software maker following first-quarter earnings. The firm exceeded average analyst expectations of 32 per share by posting profits of 40 cents per share for the quarter. Shares of MSFT surged to a new 52-week of $29.20 – a 9.8% increase over the stock’s closing price – at the start of the trading day. Currently shares are slightly lower, though still up 7% to $28.44. Call options are the clear favorite with approximately 45,000 calls purchased at the November 30 strike for an average premium of 35 cents per contract. Approximately 84,400 call options traded hands at that strike…

Tags: AMZN, BRCM, ELN, MSFT, ORCL, TIVO, VLO, XLP

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Human Genome Sees Modest Bullish Plays After Analyst Predicts Surge

by Option Review - August 11th, 2009 4:10 pm

Today’s tickers: HGSI, BRCM, AAP, VIX & EWC

HGSI– Shares of the biopharmaceutical company have reached a new 52-week high today, rising 7.5% to $16.00, surpassing the old high for the past year of $15.72 attained on August 4, 2009. Helping to boost shares was the reiteration of an ‘outperform’ rating on the stock and a target price of $30.00 by analysts at Leerink Swann today. Bullish option trades were observed on HGSI this morning with call activity outweighing that of puts by a factor of more than 3-to-1. One investor initiated an optimistic play by purchasing 1,500 calls at the September 16 strike price for a premium of 1.59 apiece. He reduced the cost of getting bullish by spreading the purchase against the sale of 1,500 calls at the higher October 17.5 strike for 1.46 per contract. The net cost of the transaction amounts to just 13 cents and provides the investor with an effective exit strategy by expiration in October if the stock should surpass $17.50. If the trader chooses to take delivery of the underlying shares by exercising the calls in September, and shares rise above $17.50 by expiration in October, he will ultimately bank profits of 1.37 per contract or a total of $205,500 by having the shares called away from him. – Human Genome Sciences, Inc.

BRCM – The producer of semiconductors for wired and wireless communications appeared on our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner after investors began hoarding put options in the September contract. Shares of BRCM are currently lower by more than 2% to stand at $26.62. Perhaps bracing for further near-term declines, traders picked up some 3,000 puts at the in-the-money September 28 strike price for a premium of 2.25 apiece. Additional downside protection was picked up at the now in-the-money September 27 strike where 5,000 puts cost an average 1.58 each. Finally, the most bearish traders purchased 5,000 puts at the lower September 25 strike price for a premium of 80 cents per contract. Investors long the out-of-the-money put options must see shares of BRCM decline another 9% before profits begin to amass beneath the breakeven point to the downside at $24.20. – Broadcom Corp.

AAP – The specialty retailer of automotive parts and accessories edged onto our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner after one investor established a ratio put spread on the stock. Shares have slipped…

Tags: AAP, BRCM, EWC, HGSI, VIX

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Call Buyers Emerge

by Option Review - May 30th, 2009 6:54 am

Today’s tickers: EEM, DRYS, SLV, GLD, DHI, BRCM, STSI & LFC

EEM– The emerging markets fund attracted a number of option investors again today following the put-spreading frenzy observed yesterday. A repeat performance looks to be in the works in the September contract, but fresh call buying activity was witnessed in the July contract today. Shares of the ETF have risen 1% to $33.05. It appears that 5,000 calls were purchased at the July 36 strike price for a premium of 51 cents apiece. But, even more noteworthy was the July 39 strike where it looks as though some 30,000 calls were bought for about 13 cents per contract. Shares would need to experience a rally of approximately 18% to breach the breakeven point at $39.13 by expiration in a couple of months. The emerging markets fund was last trading above $39.00 on August 29, 2008. – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF

DRYS– Shares of the Greek cargo-carrier are higher by more than 11% to $8.13 today fueled by gains of 5.05% in the dry bulk shipping index, which has climbed more than 90% in the month of May. A number of shipping stocks have edged upwards, but DryShips caught our attention as option traders made some bullish plays in the July contract. The July 9.0 strike price had more than 5,800 calls purchased for an average premium of 80 cents apiece. More optimistic individuals targeted the July 10 strike and pocketed 1,200 calls for 63 cents each. Shares would need to rally by an additional 30% through the breakeven point at $10.63 before profits are realized by investors long of July 10 calls. – Dryships, Inc.

SLV– A massive strangle strategy was initiated by one option trader looking for shares of the silver ETF to continue to exhibit bullishness through expiration in January of 2010. The SLV ticker symbol exploded to the top of our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner after 100,000 puts were sold at the January 13 strike for a premium of 83 cents apiece in conjunction with 100,000 calls shed at the January 19 strike for 1.04 each. The gross premium on the strangle amounts to 1.87 and looks to have been applied toward the purchase of 75,000 calls at the in-the-money January 14 strike at a cost of 2.80 each. The price tag on the long call position was effectively reduced…

Tags: BRCM, DHI, DRYS, EEM, GLD, LFC, SLV, STSI

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Broadcom bears use put spread and call sales

by Option Review - March 30th, 2009 4:26 pm

Today’s tickers: BRCM, BNI, EMC, RIO, GM, VIX, XLF, BAC & ARNA

BRCM Broadcom Corp. Class A – Shares are currently off by 3% to $20.01 for Broadcom, which is engaged in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Options activity was largely contained to the May contract. One investor established a put spread by purchasing 7,500 puts at the May 20 strike for 2.00 each, and selling 7,500 puts at the May 18 strike for a premium of 1.15 apiece. The net cost of the trade amounts to 85 cents and yields a maximum potential profit of 1.15 if shares fall to $18.00 by expiration. Further evidence of investor bearishness on BRCM came in the form of 5,000 sold calls at the May 20 strike price for a 2.00 premium per contract. Apparently investors agree that, at least in the near-term, the current $20.01 share price is due for a decline. Option implied volatility has jumped from Friday’s reading of 64% to the current value of 70%.

BNI Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation – When you need your share price to rise in the face of a 4.3% equity market decline you could do one of two things. First, have Goldman Sachs upgrade the company or second, find someone to suggest out loud that your shares might be bought by legendary investor, Warren Buffett. Sadly, neither seems to have worked for the operator of one of the largest railroad networks in North America, which has seen its shares dip slightly by 2% to stand at $60.71. BNI was upgraded to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’ at Goldman Sachs amid rumors about a possible purchase of the company by Berkshire Hathaway. Option traders reflected the bullish upgrade by purchasing calls in the April contract. At the April 65 strike price 3,300 calls were scooped up for an average price of 1.50, while at the higher April 70 strike more than 3,200 calls were bought for a 55 cent premium. In order for the April 70 calls to turn profits for optimistic traders, shares would need to rally by 16% to the breakeven share price of $70.55 by expiration.

EMC EMC Corporation – The IT support company has experienced a share price decline of about 3.5% to $11.17. EMC edged onto our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner after some large volume trades were initiated in the April and May contracts. It…

Tags: ARNA, BAC, BNI, BRCM, EMC, GM, RIO, VIX, XLF

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