Vanda-Pharm Receives a Dose of Covered Call Selling

by Andrew Wilkinson - February 11th, 2010 4:13 pm

Today’s tickers: VNDA, PFE, S, ZION, GDX, PBR, BSX, AIG & PEP

VNDA – Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – The biopharmaceutical company, which specializes in the development of drug candidates for central nervous system disorders, attracted covered call selling in afternoon trading. It looks like one bullish individual purchased shares of the underlying stock in combination with the sale of 10,000 calls at the September $12.5 strike for an average premium of $1.13 per contract. Vanda’s shares – at the time of the transaction – were trading at $10.80 apiece. Thus, the investor effectively paid a net $9.67 per share because of the financing provided by the sale of the call options. The covered call strategy positions the investor to accumulate maximum potential profits of 29.25% if Vanda’s shares rally above $12.50 by expiration in September. This is because the short call stance provides an exit strategy for the trader which dictates gains of 29.25% on the appreciation in value of the underlying shares from the purchase price of $9.67 up to the $12.50 price at which the shares will be called from him – should the calls land in-the-money – at expiration in seven months. Vanda is scheduled to reveal its fourth-quarter earnings report before the opening bell on Tuesday February 16, 2010.

PFE – Pfizer, Inc. – Shares of the global pharmaceutical company commenced the current session in the red, but rallied in afternoon trading, rising 0.85% to $17.89 with forty-five minutes remaining in the trading day. Long-term optimistic trading patterns emerged in the January 2012 contract where one investor initiated a bullish risk reversal on the stock. It looks like the trader sold 5,000 puts at the January 2012 $17.5 strike for a premium of $3.20 each in order to purchase 5,000 calls at the same strike for $2.60 apiece. The investor pockets a net credit of $0.60 per contract on the reversal play, which he keeps in his piggy bank if Pfizer’s shares trade above $17.50 through January 2012 expiration. Additional profits amass to the upside as shares increase above the stated strike price of $17.50.

S – Sprint Nextel Corp. – Massive strangles plays on the communications company today indicate investors expect shares of the underlying stock to remain range-bound through expiration in May. Sprint’s shares fell significantly yesterday afternoon and continued lower by 2% to $3.28 today following disappointing fourth-quarter sales, which fell 6.7% to $7.87 billion. The third-largest U.S. wireless…

Tags: AIG, BSX, GDX, PBR, PEP, PFE, S, VNDA, ZION

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Gold Mminers ETF Attracts Bullish Option Plays

by Andrew Wilkinson - November 10th, 2009 5:08 pm

Today’s tickers: GDX, CF, S, XHB, PCLN, XLF, CX, CAR, BZH, CRI & ERTS

GDX - Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF – Shares of the gold ETF that invests in shares of precious metals mining companies are up 0.5% to $49.53 with one hour remaining in the trading session. Option implied volatility has come down from 54% to 46% recently as gold’s price has surged. Nearer-term investors sought downside protection on the fund, whereas long-term traders initiated bullish plays. Investors hoping to lock in gains experienced during the recent run-up in the price of gold purchased 4,000 puts at the January 2010 47 strike for 3.05 apiece. Further along, at the March 2010 44 strike, another 6,000 puts were picked up for an average premium of 3.10 per contract. Finally, long-term bullishness took the form of a call spread in the January 2011 contract. It appears one investor purchased about 5,000 calls at the January 50 strike for an average of 9.52 each, marked against the sale of the same number of calls at the higher January 55 strike for 7.55 each. The net cost of the optimistic play amounts to 1.97 per contract. The trader stands to accrue maximum potential profits of 3.03 each if shares of GDX rally 11% over the current price to $55.00 by expiration in January 2011.

CF - CF Industries Holdings, Inc. – Bearish option plays appeared on the manufacturer of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products today after the firm rejected rival Agrium Inc.’s increased takeover offer of $4.52 billion. Shares of CF are currently trading 4% lower to $77.20. Investors purchased put options at the now in-the-money December 80 strike for an average premium of 6.70 apiece. Perhaps put-buyers are protecting long stock positions. Otherwise, they are hoping to accrue profits if shares of CF decline through the effective breakeven price of $73.30. Another trader unraveled a previously established bullish play in the January 2010 contract. The investor originally placed an extremely bullish 8,500-lot call spread at the January 90/100 strikes. However, the trader abandoned bullish sentiment today by closing out the spread. Option implied volatility on CF jumped 7.5% over Monday’s closing value of 52.9% to reach an intraday high of 55.9%.

S - Sprint Nextel Corp. – Shares of the wireless communications company surrendered a portion of gains experienced during yesterday’s 20% rally to an intraday high of $3.43. The stock rebounded due to news that Clearwire…

Tags: BZH, CAR, CF, CRI, CX, ERTS, GDX, PCLN, S, XHB, XLF

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Commodity Reversal Sees Bulls Charging in Potash

by Andrew Wilkinson - August 19th, 2009 5:50 pm

Today’s tickers: POT, LVS, WYE, TGT, WMT, HGSI, AXL, SBUX & GDX

POT - Shares of the fertilizer and feed products company have rallied 2.5% during the trading session to arrive at the current price of $96.06. Bullish investors rushed in to establish optimistic positions on the stock. A bullish reversal play was established in the near-term September contract by a trader anticipating significant gains by expiration. The reversal involved the sale of 10,000 puts at the September 80 strike price for 75 cents each, which were employed to finance the purchase of 10,000 calls at the higher September 105 strike for 1.80 apiece. The net cost of the trade amounts to 1.05 per contract. The investor responsible for the transaction will begin to amass profits if shares of POT surge approximately 10% through the breakeven price of $106.05 by expiration. Bullish sentiment spread to the December contract where it appears that another trader shed puts to finance the purchase of bull call spread. The December 90 strike had about 2,000 puts shed for 7.90 apiece. Premium received on the sale was put toward the purchase of 2,000 calls at the December 100 strike for 9.25 each, which was offset by the sale of 2,000 calls at the higher December 130 strike for 2.15 per contract. The investor received an 80 cent credit for his trouble and stands ready to add to his gains if shares breach $100.00 by expiration. – Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Inc. –

LVS -  Profit taking in the January 2011 contract caught our attention this afternoon after one investor “made it big” by utilizing call options on the casino operator. Shares of LVS had attained upward gains earlier in the trading day but are currently lower by more than 0.5% to $12.81. It appears that the trader originally purchased 20,000 calls at the January 15 strike price for 1.70 apiece back on July 9, 2009 when shares closed at $7.42. At that time implied options volatility read 97%. Today he sold the lots to close out the position for 4.35 per contract. If this is indeed what took place, he will have banked gains of 2.65 per contract for a grand total of $5,300,000. This assumes no attached interest in the underlying shares. Implied option volatility has declined during this time to stand at 87% today, negatively impacting the premium of these options, which likely helps account for…

Tags: AXL, GDX, HGSI, LVS, POT, SBUX, TGT, WMT, WYE

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Savient calls in play at heady volatility readings

by Andrew Wilkinson - May 28th, 2009 4:41 pm

Today’s tickers: SVNT, WFC, EEM, MCO, XHB, EXEL, GDX & HIG

SVNT– The specialty biopharmaceutical company’s shares have slipped 2% throughout the trading day to $5.78. The slight decline has not deterred some investors from establishing covered calls in anticipation of the potential approval of Savient’s novel biological drug treatment for failure gout patients. The firm’s biologics license application is set for review before the Arthritis Advisory Committee appointed by the FDA on June 16, 2009. Option traders were seen making some interesting plays on the stock ahead of judgment day. One investor purchased 5,000 calls at the near-term June 7.5 strike price for a premium of 1.05 apiece spread against the sale of 5,000 calls at the July 10 strike for a premium of 50 cents each. The spread cost the investor 55 cents. Such a strategy has a number of possible outcomes contingent upon the decision of the advisory committee. We note that the committee is scheduled to convene just a couple of days before the June 19th expiration of the June 7.5 calls. In the event that the drug, KRYSTEXXA ™, is approved the investor is likely expecting the June 7.5 calls to land in-the-money allowing him to take delivery of the underlying shares. Once long the stock, he has an effective exit strategy in place because of writing the calls today. He will have amassed gains of 44% on the stock if shares rise through $10.00 by expiration. Pure covered call writers also targeted the July 10 strike price where another 7,000 calls were sold and likely tied to a long stock position. The sky-high implied volatility reading of 272% for the near-term June 7.5 strike calls will likely compress after the review has yielded a decision on the gout drug. Thus, traders will be singing a more melancholy tune in the event that the drug does not receive approval and the call premium plummets.  - Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc

WFC– Shares have reversed direction this afternoon to rise more than 1.5% to $24.50 after spending the majority of the day in the red. We noticed some traders stocking up on protective put options in the July contract at multiple strike prices. The most bearish of investors picked up 15,500 put options at the July 15 strike price for an average premium of 30 cents each. Higher up at the July 19 strike, some 20,000 puts were coveted…

Tags: EEM, EXEL, GDX, HIG, MCO, SVNT, WFC, XHB

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