Put Spreader Prepares For Possible Market Rout
by Option Review - November 11th, 2011 2:01 pm
Today’s tickers: EFA, KMX & ONNN
EFA - iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund – A massive put spread on the EFA, an exchange-traded fund made up of stock in multinational companies such as Nestle, Novartis and BP, to name a few, suggests one big options player is prepared should equities stumble over the next few months. Shares in the index developed as an equity benchmark for international stock performance rallied 2.5% to $51.80 this afternoon as stocks across the board look to end the week on a positive note. The put spread initiated on the fund may serve as a life preserver for its owner if (when) the next negative headline from Europe rocks markets once more. The investor purchased 55,000 puts at the Jan. 2012 $49 strike for a premium of $2.27 each, and sold the same number of puts at the lower Jan. 2012 $43 strike at a premium of $1.07 apiece. Net premium paid to initiate the spread amounts to $1.20 per contract, or a total of $6.6 million. The spread positions the trader to profit in the event that shares in the ETF fall 7.7% to breach the effective breakeven point on the downside at $47.80 by January expiration. Maximum potential profits of $4.80 per contract are available on the spread – that amounts to a cool $26.4 million – should shares in the EFA tumble 17.0% over the next few months to trade below $43.00 at expiration. Shares in the fund slumped to a 52-week low of $45.45 as recently as October 4, but have not traded below $43.00 since May 2009.
KMX - CarMax, Inc. – A flurry of put activity on CarMax, Inc. pushed the used car retailer onto our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner this morning. Shares in the Richmond, Virginia-based company rose 0.80% to $28.60 in the first half of the session. It looks like one investor binged on KMX puts, perhaps to take an outright bearish stance on the stock through the end of the year, or to provide varying degrees of downside protection on a long position in the underlying shares. The investor purchased roughly 200 puts at the Dec. $28 strike, the closest to-the-money available in the expiry, for a premium of $1.10 each. Buying continued at the Dec. $26 and $27 strikes, where the trader picked up more than 650 puts at each strike at average premiums of $0.56 and…
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DiggBearish Player Paws at Cubist Pharmaceuticals
by Option Review - February 8th, 2011 6:28 pm
Today’s tickers: CBST, STJ, EFA & PEP
CBST - Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – A three-legged transaction involving Cubist Pharmaceuticals stock, as well as call and put options, appears to be the work of a bearish investor positioning for shares in the name to pullback ahead of August expiration. CBST shares are currently down 1.05% to arrive at $22.15 as of 11:55am in New York. It looks like the strategist initiated a delta neutral position, selling around 88,600 shares at $22.24 each, selling 2,100 calls at the August $30 strike for a premium of $0.80 per contract, and buying 2,100 puts at the August $17 strike at a premium of $1.45 apiece, on a delta of approximately 0.42. The parameters of the transaction prepare the trader to potentially amass substantial profits if shares in the biopharmaceutical company continue to trend lower in the time remaining to expiration. The value of the long put options will rise as shares fall, while the short calls will decline in value and become cheaper to buy back. Erosion in the price of the underlying shares is also favorable on the short stock leg of the transaction.
STJ - St. Jude Medical, Inc. – The medical devices manufacturer popped up on our scanners in early morning trade after a large number of call and put options changed hands in the January 2012 contract. It looks like one investor initiated a sizeable bullish stance on the stock in order to position for shares in St. Jude Medical to rise substantially by January of next year. Shares in the name increased as much as 2.2% today to secure an intraday- and new 52-week high of $44.95 in the first half of the session. The trader appears to have sold 5,900 puts at the January 2012 $40 strike for a…
Put Player Portends Additional Declines in iShares MSCI EAFE Index ETF
by Option Review - August 20th, 2010 5:29 pm
Today’s tickers: EFA, FTI, FBR & TYC
EFA – iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund – Shares of the EFA, an exchange-traded fund created to yield investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the MSCI EAFE Index – an index designed as an equity benchmark for international stock performance with stocks from Europe, Australasia and the Far East, declined as much as 1.65% in the first half of the trading session to touch an intraday low of $50.00. One options investor was seen bracing for continued bearish movement in the price of the underlying fund through October expiration. The trader purchased a plain-vanilla put spread, buying 10,000 puts at the October $50 strike for premium of $2.31 apiece, and selling the same number of puts at the lower October $45 strike at a premium of $0.86 each. The net cost of the pessimistic play amounts to $1.45 per contract. The put spreader is prepared to make money – or realize downside protection should he hold a large position in shares of the fund – if the ETF’s shares trade below the effective breakeven price of $48.55 by expiration day. Maximum potential profits of $3.55 per contract are available to the investor if the EFA’s shares plunge 10% to settle below $45.00 at October expiration. Options implied volatility on the fund is higher by 6.8% to stand at 29.77% as of 11:55 am ET.
FTI – FMC Technologies, Inc. – The global provider of technology solutions for the energy industry popped up on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner in the first half of the trading day after one options investor initiated a ratio put spread in the January 2011 contract. FTI’s shares are currently down 2.05% to stand at $61.00 as of 12:10 pm ET. The put player appears to have purchased 1,000 puts at the January 2011 $55 strike at a premium of $3.95 apiece, and sold 2,000 puts at the lower January 2011 $45 strike for an average premium of $1.30 each. The net cost of the spread amounts to $1.35 per contract. Profits start to accumulate for the ratio spreader if shares of the underlying stock plummet 12.05% from the current price of $61.00 to breach the effective breakeven point on the trade at $53.65 by expiration day next year. The investor stands ready to amass maximum potential profits of $8.65 per…
Mixed Action on ETF Country Plays
by Option Review - August 13th, 2010 4:30 pm
Today’s tickers: EFA, EEM, DYN & RMBS
EFA – iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund – One investor appears nervous over a continued slide lower for global stocks and used a put option combination in the index fund tracking Europe, Asia and Far Eastern markets in an effort to profit from a further 10% slide. The iShares ETF is trading at an unchanged $50.89 on Friday while one investor has paid a $980,000 net premium to help reduce the cost of taking a nearby bearish position on the prospects for the fund. If the fund does crash to $45.00 before the option play expires in September, the investor stands to make profits of $4,020,000. The position could be full or partial protection against a long stock position in which case options profits are offset by rising losses as the share price declines. In order to make a profit at expiration the investor must see the share price settle at less than $49.02.
EEM – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund – An alternative to the strategy above was offered possibly by the same investor using a put spread in the emerging markets ETF. With the fund having rebounded from about $40.00 per share yesterday, the fund gave of 6.2% of its recovery. This seems to have provoked this investor to seek short-term gains by betting against a further slip in emerging markets. The investor again focused on the September expiration and with shares trading now at $40.63 used the $38.00 and $33.00 strikes to write a credit spread. Instead of buying the higher strike, it appears to have been sold in exchange for puts at the lower $33.00 strike. The purpose is to bank the net premium of 49 cents per contract from making the play. The investor this time faces losses beneath an expiration price $37.51 and see them increase to a maximum of $4.51 per contract in the event markets do face a meltdown over late summer. In order to reach breakeven the shares would need to decline by 7.7% from today’s trading price and to leave the investor facing maximum pain would need to slide by 18.8%.
DYN – Dynegy Inc. – The announcement by Blackstone that it was making a $4.50 a share bid for the power generating company created a groundswell of demand for shares in Dynegy, which rose 60% pennies short of the deal price.…
Marvell Technology Group Ltd. Call Options Fly Off The Shelves
by Option Review - June 11th, 2010 4:15 pm
Today’s tickers: MRVL, EFA, MSFT, PFE, BMY, BAC, GME, NFLX & PM
MRVL – Marvell Technology Group Ltd. – The semiconductor maker popped onto our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner late in the session due to rampant call buying in the June and July contracts. Marvell’s shares are higher by 1.65% to $17.74 just before 3:30 pm (ET). Near-term optimistic individuals itching for continued appreciation in the price of the underlying stock purchased approximately 9,000 calls at the June $18 strike for an average premium of $0.33 apiece. Investors long the calls make money if Marvell’s shares rally at least 3.325% from the current price of $17.74 to exceed the average breakeven point to the upside at $18.33 by expiration day in one week. Buying interest spread to the July $18 strike where bullish players paid an average premium of $0.89 per contract to take ownership of some 5,100 call options. Traders holding these contracts accumulate profits as long as MRVL’s shares increase 6.5% to surpass the average breakeven price of $18.89 by July expiration.
EFA – iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund – The implementation of a large-volume short strangle on the EFA, an exchange-traded fund designed to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the MSCI EAFE Index – an index which includes stocks from Europe, Australasia and the Far East, indicates one options strategist expects shares of the underlying fund to remain range-bound through September expiration. Shares of the EFA are trading lower by 0.63% to stand at $48.53 with less than 45 minutes remaining before the closing bell. The investor responsible for the strangle sold 16,000 puts at the September $42 strike for an average premium of $1.54 apiece in combination with the sale of the same number of calls at the higher September $52 strike for an average premium of $1.15 each. Gross premium pocketed on the transaction amounts to $2.69 per contract. The strangle-seller keeps the full premium received as long as the fund’s share price trades within the boundaries of the strike prices described through expiration. The short stance assumed in both call and put options expose the responsible party to losses in the event that shares rally above the upper breakeven price of $54.69, or if shares trade beneath the lower breakeven point at $39.31 at expiration. We note that shares of the fund have not…
Quicksilver Resources, Inc. Options Activity Jumps Late in Session
by Option Review - June 4th, 2010 4:52 pm
Today’s tickers: KWK, MCCC, EWZ, NSC, HNT, EFA, JNJ, GT & LVS
KWK – Quicksilver Resources, Inc. – The independent oil and natural gas company’s shares recovered late in the session, adding 0.50% to stand at $12.18 as of 3:07 pm (ET), after commencing the trading day in the red by 0.30% to touch an intraday low of $11.75. Options investors all but ignored Quicksilver until this afternoon when both puts and calls in the July contract started to change hands. Roughly 10,000 puts were exchanged at the July $11 strike for an average premium of $0.44 apiece. Simultaneously, investors traded about the same number of calls at the higher July $13 strike for an average premium of $0.79 each. It looks like some options strategists populating KWK are selling strangles on the stock because they expect shares to trade within a specified range through expiration. Strangle-sellers pocket an average gross premium of $1.23 per contract, and keep the full amount received as long Quicksilver’s shares trade within the $11.00 to $13.00 range through expiration day. Investors short the strangle face losses should shares rally above the upper breakeven price of $14.23, or if shares slip beneath the lower breakeven point at $9.77 ahead of expiration. Other options strategists may be utilizing the same strike prices in the July contract to enact bullish risk reversals. Investors employing the risk reversal likely sold the July $11 strike puts in order to offset the cost of buying the July $13 strike calls. Average net premium paid for the transaction amounts to $0.35 per contract and positions traders to make money as long as Quicksilver’s shares rally 9.60% to exceed the average breakeven price of $13.35 by October expiration.
MCCC – Mediacom Communications Corp. – Shares of the firm engaged in the development of cable systems serving smaller U.S. cities are flat on the day at $6.28 in late afternoon trading. MCCC popped onto our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner earlier in the session after one options investor exchanged a chunk of 4,000 calls on the stock in the October contract. The calls traded to the middle of the market at the October $7.5 strike for a premium of $0.25 apiece. The investor may be buying the contracts, in which case he is bullish on Mediacom and expects shares to rally sharply ahead of expiration in five months time. A long call…
Kaleidoscope of Butterflies Lie in Wait for Goldman Sachs Rebound
by Option Review - April 28th, 2010 4:32 pm
Today’s tickers: GS, BAC, AEA, QDEL, DUK, HTZ, EFA, MAR, PXD & WLP
GS – Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. – Bullish options strategists touting butterfly wings were once again enticed by the sweet nectar of potential profits hinging on Goldman Sachs’ shares ability to continue to climb out of the hole created by the drama and uncertainty surrounding the SEC’s suit against the investment banking firm. Goldman’s shares are up 2.36% in late afternoon trading at $156.65, but the stock realized a 4.9% rebound in its shares from Tuesday’s intraday low of $150.15, to an intraday high of $157.45 during the current session. We observed bullish butterfly plays on Goldman Sachs each day this week suggesting investors are pre-ordering their tickets on the rebound-boat so as not to miss out on profits to the upside. Tuesday’s call-fly engaged the October 160/175/190 strikes while Monday’s butterfly spread involved the May 150/160/170 strikes. Today, butterflies parked themselves in the June contract, buying approximately 8,000 calls at the June $165 strike for a premium of $4.66 each [wing 1] and purchasing roughly 8,000 calls at the higher June $185 strike for $0.88 apiece [wing 2]. The body of the butterfly centered at the June $175 strike where some 16,000 calls were shed for an average premium of $1.99 a-pop. Average net premium paid for the spread amounts to just $1.56 per contract. The investor or investors holding the bullish stance stand ready to accrue maximum potential profits of $8.44 per contract should GS shares surge up to $175.00 by expiration day. The transaction is a very efficient way to act on bullish sentiment because maximum loss potential – $1.56 per contract in this case – is scant when compared to potential profits which are 5.4 times greater. Profits start to amass if Goldman’s shares rally 6.33% from the current price of $156.65 to breach the average breakeven price of $166.56 ahead of June expiration. Finally, not all optimistic options players selected the butterfly spread strategy. A long-term bullish trader targeted the October contract to enact a plain-vanilla debit call spread. The investor picked up 3,000 in-the-money calls at the October $155 strike for a hefty average premium of $16.50 apiece, and sold the same number of calls at the higher October $180 strike for $6.55 each. The net cost of the call spread amounts to $9.95 per contract, and yields maximum potential profits…
ACE Call Options in Demand – Option Implied Volatility Explodes
by Option Review - December 1st, 2009 4:17 pm
Today’s tickers: ACE, EFA, HAL, AMAT, WHR, DE, JTX & WCG
ACE – ACE Limited – The surge in demand for call options on the insurance company today drove option implied volatility up 19.75% to 28.67%, while shares gained more than 2% to $49.78 during the trading day. Investors populating the December contract exhibited bullish sentiment on ACE by selling puts and buying calls. Approximately 3,000 puts were shed at the December 50 strike for an average premium of 1.51 apiece, while some 2,100 calls were purchased at the same strike for roughly 89 cents each. Call volume at the January 50 strike sky-rocketed to 21,666 contracts – on previous existing open interest of just 1,402 calls – as traders scooped up about 20,000 lots for a premium of 1.42 per contract. Investors long the January contract call options are positioned to accrue profits if ACE’s shares trade above the breakeven price of $51.42 by expiration.
EFA – iShares MSCI EAFE Index ETF – The exchange-traded fund, which includes stocks from Europe, Australasia and the Far East, attracted bearish option players despite the 2.5% rise in shares today to $56.88. One investor, who may hold a long position in the underlying stock, unfurled a ratio put spread in the January 2010 contract. The trader purchased 10,000 puts at the January 55 strike for an average premium of 1.39 each, and sold 20,000 puts at the lower January 52 strike for about 70 cents apiece. The investor pockets a net credit of 1 penny per contract on the trade and establishes downside protection in case shares of the EFA decline ahead of expiration. The 1 cent credit is ‘free money’ for the trader as long as the shares remain above $55.00 through expiration in January.
HAL – Halliburton Co. – Options activity on the oil and gas company today suggests at least one investor is bracing for potential share price erosion through expiration in January. Halliburton’s shares rose 1% during the session to $29.57. The trader responsible for the bearish ratio put spread is likely holding a long position in the underlying stock. If this is the case, today’s transaction provides downside protection for the investor. It appears 5,000 puts were purchased at the January 29 strike for an average premium of 1.24 apiece, spread against the sale of 10,000 puts at the lower January 24 strike for 18 pennies each.…
Human Genome Call Options Active Ahead of Phase 3 Trial Results
by Option Review - October 29th, 2009 4:54 pm
Today’s tickers: HGSI, MSTR, INTC, FXI, EFA, AA, AVP, RDC, PLL, FSLR, MOT & AKAM
HGSI – Human Genome Sciences, Inc. – Shares of the biopharmaceutical company made a miraculous recovery since yesterday’s slaughter by exploding 13.25% higher during the session to $20.40. Traders populated various contracts with bullish plays after HGSI was raised to ‘overweight’ from ‘neutral’ with a 12-month target share price of $25.00 at JPMorgan. Heavy call volume in the November contract was likely driven by traders anticipating results of Phase 3 trials employed to evaluate the efficacy of HGSI’s potential drug treatment for lupus, Benlysta. Trading at the November 20/25/30 strike prices mimicked the butterfly spread strategy, and suggests perhaps that traders expect shares to rise to $25.00 by expiration. Investors bought at least 3,500 calls at the November 20 strike for 1.88 apiece as well as purchased 3,500 calls at the November 30 strike for 60 cents each. These contracts effectively mimic the wings of the spread while the 9,000 calls sold at the central November 25 strike perhaps represent the body of the spread. Call spreads were initiated in both the December and January contracts. The December transaction, for example, involved the purchase of 1,000 calls at the December 25 strike for 2.60 each, spread against the sale of 1,000 calls at the higher December 30 strike for 1.00 apiece. The net cost of the trade amounts to 1.60 per contract. Thus, the investor may accumulate maximum potential profits of 3.40 per contract if shares of HGSI rally up to $30.00 by expiration day in December.
MSTR – Microstrategy, Inc. – The software company appeared on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner this afternoon due to bullish options activity. Investors initiated optimistic plays on the stock despite the 1% decline in shares to $73.03. Profit-taking action appeared in the January 2010 contract while fresh positions were taken in the April 2010 contract. It looks like one investor originally purchased 3,600 calls at the now in-the-money January 70 strike for an average premium of between 3.00 to 3.50 per contract back on July 31, 2009. Today the trader sold the calls for a whopping 7.20 apiece. Net profits enjoyed on the closing sale amount to a minimum of 3.70 up to 4.20 each. Thus, total potential profits earned by the trader are anywhere from $1,332,000 to $1,512,000. In the April contract a bullish risk…
Carter’s Earnings Cancel Sends Implied Options Volatility Skywards
by Option Review - October 27th, 2009 4:27 pm
Today’s tickers: CRI, RDC, XL, VIX, XHB, XRX, EFA, WYNN, BIDU & XHB
CRI – Carter’s Inc. – The more than 20,500 option contracts exchanged thus far today on the children’s apparel company trumps existing open interest of just 3,342 lots by a factor of 6. Shares of Carter’s are suffering significant erosion after the firm announced plans to delay its third-quarter earnings release, originally scheduled for this evening, perhaps until November 12, 2009. News of the postponement sent shares tumbling 25.5% lower to $21.16. Investor uncertainty jumped through the roof as evidenced by the massive 66% rise in option implied volatility this morning to an intraday high of 90%. Bullish investors took advantage of today’s declines by trading near-term call options. One trader put on a ratio call spread by purchasing 1,000 calls at the in-the-money November 20 strike for 2.30 apiece, and by selling 2,000 calls at the higher November 25 strike for 55 pennies each. The net cost of buying the calls is reduced to 1.20 per contract. The effective breakeven price of $21.20 on the transaction allows the investor to profit by expiration in November if shares of CRI rise at least 4 cents. Maximum potential profits of 3.80 per contract are available if the stock recovers up to $25.00. Losses would begin to accumulate if any rally lifted the share price above $28.80.
RDC – Rowan Companies, Inc. – Option traders scooped up put options on the provider of contract drilling services while shares slumped 2.75% to $24.90. The January 2010 22.5 strike had at least 1,400 puts purchased for an average premium of 1.16 apiece. The now in-the-money January 25 strike attracted traders who picked up 1,300 puts for about 2.15 each. Bearish sentiment spread to the April contract where another 2,000 puts were coveted at the April 22.5 strike for 2.02 a-pop. Finally, the most action took place at the in-the-money April 25 strike where 9,800 puts were purchased for an average of 3.18 each. Perhaps put-buying investors are aiming to protect the value of long positions in the underlying. Otherwise, traders placing bearish bets on RDC hope to accumulate profits on further share price weakness over the next several months.
XL – XL Capital Ltd. – Bullish investors took aim at XL Capital put options in the January contract this afternoon. Shares of XL are slightly higher by less than 0.25% to…
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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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