Bank of America Bull Sets Up Shop in August Contract Calls and Puts
by Option Review - June 9th, 2011 6:09 pm
Today’s tickers: BAC, VRTX, SKX & GT
BAC - Bank of America Corp. – Pessimism on the financial sector overflow-eth as of late and shares in Bank of America currently hover just above fresh 2-year lows, but for one contrarian strategist it looks like now is the perfect time to bet big on a BAC-rebound. Shares in Bank of America lost 31.4% of their value since mid-January, sliding to as low as $10.50 before rising 1.50% this afternoon to $10.70. Hoping to see shares in the financial services company recover by the dog days of summer, it appears one big player employed a three-legged bullish spread using August contract call and put options. The investor picked up 25,000 calls at the August $11 strike for a premium of $0.46 each, sold the same number of calls up at the August $14 strike at a premium of $0.02 per contract, and sold 25,000 puts at the August $9.0 strike for a premium of $0.14 a-pop. The net cost of the transaction reduces to $0.30 per contract and prepares the trader to profit should BAC’s shares rally 5.6% over the current price of $10.70 to breach the effective breakeven point at $11.30 by August expiration day. The trader paid $0.30 per contract – or a total of $750,000 – for the spread, but stands ready to make as much as $2.70 per contract or $6.75 million if the price of the underlying soars 30.8% in the next couple of months to exceed $14.00 at expiration. The parameters of the transaction are such that the investor could lose more than just the three-quarters of a million dollars paid for the transaction. Short puts at the August $9.0 strike indicate the trader could have 2.5 million shares of the underlying put to him at $9.00 at expiration should the stock continue to deteriorate. But, the investor seems more than happy to bear such risk in exchange for the added financing provided by the third-leg of the spread.…
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn 
del.icio.us
DiggBullish Player Takes Profits, Injects Fresh Optimism in Sanofi-Aventis Options
by Option Review - May 10th, 2011 4:45 pm
Today’s tickers: SNY, DELL, HTZ & GT
SNY - Sanofi-Aventis – The French drug manufacturer popped up on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner this morning after one strategist extended bullish sentiment on the stock. Shares in Sanofi-Aventis rallied earlier in the session, but currently stand 0.35% lower on the day at $39.55 as of 11:30am in New York. The vaccines division of the pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Pasteur, said today it has received approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its intradermal microinjection delivery system of its influenza vaccine, Fluzone. The vaccine was previously approved for intramuscular administration, but Sanofi said it plans to have the Fluzone Intradermal vaccine available to U.S. healthcare providers in time for the 2011-2012 influenza season. The bullish options trader responsible for nearly all of the day’s volume appears to be taking profits off the table on a previously established long call position. It looks like the investor originally purchased 2,000 calls at the May $37 strike for an average premium of $1.025 back on April 14 when shares in SNY were hovering around $37.54. Since the calls were purchased, shares in Sanofi rallied as much as 8.6% to touch a new 52-week high of $40.75 last Wednesday. Although shares are currently off last week’s high, the bullish trader was still able to rake in substantial profits on the long calls stance, selling all 2,000 of the May $37 strike calls this morning at a premium of $2.45 apiece. Net profits on the sale amount to $1.425 per contract. Next, the trader extended bullish sentiment on the drug maker, buying 2,000 fresh calls out at the June $40 strike for a premium of $0.40 per contract. The investor profits on the new batch of call options if shares in SNY increase 2.15% over the current price of $39.55 to surpass the effective breakeven point to the upside at $40.40 by expiration in June.…
Netgear Options Pop as Shares Fly to All-Time High
by Option Review - April 29th, 2011 4:09 pm
Today’s tickers: NTGR, GT, DOW & S
NTGR - Netgear, Inc. – The maker of networking products for at-home and small business use reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings on Thursday after the closing bell, and projected second-quarter sales of $270 million, which beat the consensus estimate of $240.3 million. Shares in the San Jose, CA-based company subsequently jumped 28.4% today to secure an intraday- and new all-time high of $43.67. Investors expecting the price of the underlying to trend higher through the next couple of months traded more than 2,800 calls at the June $45 strike on just 10 lots of previously existing open interest. The majority of the call options were purchased for an average premium of $1.35 each. Call buyers make money if shares in Netgear rally another 6.1% over today’s high of $43.67 to surpass the average breakeven price of $46.35 by expiration day in June. Meanwhile, pre-earnings report buyers of May contract call options have seen the value of their positions sky-rocket today. One trader appears to be taking profits, selling 50 now deep in-the-money calls at the May $31 strike for an average premium of $10.38 each, which he appears to have initially purchased for just $3.60 apiece on Thursday. Open interest levels at the two highest-available strike prices in the front month indicate call buyers paid as much as $0.35 per contract to buy fewer than 100 calls at each of the May $37 and $38 strikes earlier in the week. Today, these same calls tout asking prices of $4.60 and $3.80, respectively. Approximately 4,200 call and put options have changed hands on Netgear just before 1:00pm on overall previously existing open interest of 5,678 contracts on the stock.
GT - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. – Shares in the largest U.S. tire manufacturer shot up…
eBay Call Options Active Ahead of Earnings
by Option Review - April 25th, 2011 5:40 pm
Today’s tickers: EBAY, NTAP, GT & BONT
EBAY - eBay, Inc. – At least one bullish options strategist is positioning for a rally in eBay’s shares ahead of the company’s first-quarter earnings report after the final bell on Wednesday. Shares in the operator of online marketplaces increased as much as 3.1% during the first half of the session to secure an intraday high of $32.94. It looks like one or more investors initiated debit call spreads, buying around 2,000 calls at the June $34 strike for an average premium of $1.04 per contract, and selling roughly 2,000 calls up at the June $36 strike at an average premium of $0.44 apiece. The average net cost of buying the spread amounts to $0.60 per contract. Thus, investors employing call spreads start making money in the event that eBay’s shares rally another 5.0% over today’s high of $32.94 to surpass the average breakeven price of $34.60 by expiration day in June. Maximum potential profits of $1.40 per contract are available on the position if the price of the underlying stock jumps 9.3% to exceed $36.00 at expiration. EBAY’s shares secured a 52-week high of $35.35 back on February 17, 2011.
NTAP - NetApp, Inc. – The provider of enterprise storage and data management software and hardware products and services appeared on our scanners today after sizable prints popped up in long-dated call and put options. Shares in NetApp are currently up 2.1% at $52.10 just after 11:45am. The stock was upgraded to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Sector Perform’ with a 12-month target share price of $64.00 at Pacific Crest this morning. Activity in NetApp LEAPS indicates one options player expects the price of the underlying to improve going forward. It looks like the trader initiated a bullish risk reversal, selling approximately 5,500 puts at the…
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…
Demand for Puts Pops at Regions Financial as Shares Slide Lower
by Option Review - November 18th, 2010 4:25 pm
Today’s tickers: RF, YHOO, ORLY, CTV, HNZ, STX, SMH & GT
RF - Regions Financial Corp. – Bears are piling into put options on Regions Financial Corp. today after Fitch Ratings cut Alabama’s biggest lender by two levels to –BBB, citing concerns the firm may post additional losses. Regions’ credit rating was also downgraded two notches to Ba3 from Ba1 at Moody’s yesterday. Shares have been hammered lower over the past four weeks, and today declined as much as 7.22% to touch an intraday- and new 52-week low of $5.14. Today’s low of $5.14 marks a 46.5% decline since October 21, 2010, when shares touched an intraday high of $7.53. Investors expecting shares to extend losses over the next several months purchased large numbers of put options on the stock. Bearish players picked up at least 9,000 puts at the December $5.0 strike for an average premium of $0.28 each and purchased approximately 10,000 puts at the lower December $4.0 strike at an average premium of $0.20 apiece. Lower-strike put buyers are positioned to profit should Regions’ shares slide another 26% below today’s intraday low point of $5.14 to breach the effective breakeven point on the downside at $3.80 by expiration day in December. Pessimism spread to the January 2011 $4.0 strike where another 3,800 put options were coveted at an average premium of $0.20 a-pop. The surge in demand for put options coupled with growing uncertainty regarding the fate of RF’s shares going forward helped lift the stock’s overall reading of options implied volatility 27.4% to 90.77% by 3:50 pm in New York.
YHOO - Yahoo!, Inc. – Shares in Yahoo! are up 5.35% to $17.01 as of 2:40 pm in New York, but earlier rallied as much as 6.315% to hit an intraday high of $17.17. Call options on…
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…
Werner Enterprises Sees Bearish Activity
by Option Review - October 22nd, 2009 4:35 pm
Today’s tickers: WERN, MDVN, GT, XRX, SLE, AMGN, ESI, EBAY, FFIV & SLE
WERN – Werner Enterprises, Inc. – The truckload freight services firm edged onto our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner due to bearish trading in the June contract. Shares of WERN slipped 0.5% lower this afternoon to $20.22. One investor initiated a ratio put spread by purchasing 6,000 put options at the June 20 strike for 2.25 apiece, and by simultaneously selling 12,000 puts at the lower June 17.5 strike for 1.10 each. The net cost of the trade is reduced to just one nickel per contract. The trader is probably aiming to protect the value of a long position in shares of WERN through expiration. Downside protection will kick in if shares decline more than 27 cents from the current price given the effective breakeven point on the trade at $19.95.
MDVN – Medivation, Inc. – Long-term bearish activity in the June 2010 contract suggests one investor may be bulking up on downside protection in case shares of biopharmaceutical company, Medivation, Inc., continue to decline. The stock is currently trading less than 0.5% lower to stand at $26.51. A put spread was established through the purchase of 10,000 puts at the June 22.5 strike for 7.80 apiece, marked against the sale of 10,000 puts at the lower June 12.5 strike for 1.87 each. The net cost of the pessimistic play amounts to 5.93 per contract. The spread was most likely initiated by an investor holding a long position in the underlying shares. Putting on the protective stance shields the investor from losses beneath the breakeven point at $16.57. However, if the trader is in fact long the stock, he will suffer a 38% decline in the value of MDVN before downside protection kicks in at the breakeven price described. An alternate scenario is that the investor does not hold a long position in MDVN. If this is the case, the trader is uber-bearish and expects to garner profits from significant declines in Medivation through expiration in June.
GT – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. – Option traders populated the November contract on GT with bullish plays this afternoon. Shares added more than 2.5% during the session to arrive at the current price of $17.83. Some investors targeted the now in-the-money November 17.5 strike to purchase 3,800 calls for an average premium of one dollar apiece.…
PNC Short Sellers Wade In
by Option Review - March 6th, 2009 11:34 pm
Today’s tickers: PNC, GT, ROH, WMT, CX, PG & XLF
PNC – PNC Financial Services Group – Shares have fallen over 12% to $17.60 and put action today indicates that there may be more down-days to come. At the March 15 strike price nearly 14,000 puts were sold for an average premium of 1.78 per contract. We believe this sale could be the work of an investor who is short the stock initiating a covered put strategy. By taking in the premium today, this investor stands ready to take delivery of the shares at $15 come expiration. The risk to this trader is that shares are remain stable above the strike ahead of delivery and thereafter rebound, in which case he has to buy back at some point. But, the trade would yield a satisfactory outcome if shares continue to fall below $15 by expiration in which case the investor has his short position alleviated with a long put holder putting the stock to him. In the meantime this investor retains the full premium of 1.78. At the April 10 strike price, more typical put buying was seen given the fall in shares today. Over 5,500 puts were picked up for about 1.65 apiece, indicating that investors do expect that shares will continue to fall.
GT – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company – A victim of the decline in auto sales, Goodyear has fallen 4.5% to a new 52-week low, touching down at $3.40 today. Despite the depressing news plaguing the auto industry from all sides, one option investor sees the world through rose-tinted shades and initiated to purchase of 20,000 calls at the January 2010 7.5 strike price for 50 cents per contract. Shares will need to rally like there’s no tomorrow and increase by 135% in order to breach the breakeven share price of $8.00 by expiration next year. Option implied volatility for GT currently stands at 128%. Lately we have noticed similar structured trades using optimistic options plays in both Ford and GM.
ROH – Rohm and Haas Company – Shares have jumped over 17% to $63.60 amid news that discussions over merger resolution have resumed between ROH and Dow Chemical Co. We can only speculate as to how the discussion will turn out and scant information is available at the present time. The uncertainty has created a veritable hot bed of frenzied trading among option…
Qualcomm – Rally in sight, but not just yet
by Option Review - February 28th, 2009 12:32 pm
Today’s tickers: QCOM, GT, IVN, AMGN, C, GFI, HMY, SQNM & GE
QCOM – Qualcomm Inc. – Things might be looking better for Qualcomm – but not just yet according to one large option trade that went through earlier today. An investor sought protection in the April contract for fear that shares would be below $35.00 when the contract expires and turned the cost of the premium into a credit by selling January 2010 expiration puts at the same strike. The strategy assumes that the shares will not break through the strike price as the second quarter begins, in which case the investor gets paid out for every penny below $35.00 the share are at that time. But ahead the investor’s core assumption is that shares will shift ahead of $35.00 when next year begins, rendering the sold put options worthless. Today Qualcomm is trading a shade higher at $33.75.
GT – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company – Shares of the manufacturer of tires and rubber products have fallen by 5% to $4.57 today. Perhaps the continued decline stems from the downgrade GT received on Monday to ‘underweight’ from ‘hold’ by a KeyBanc analyst, who cited challenges such as global sales declines, and rising costs related to pension and raw materials. Despite the downgrade and today’s decline in share price, one investor established a bullish play on the stock. At the April 7.5 strike price, 10,000 calls were purchased for 10 cents each. Should there by a rally in shares before expiration, this trader will see premiums grow richer at the 7.5 strike, and could then potentially sell the calls to profit. There is a delta of 0.13 on the trade, thus there is a 13% chance that these calls will land in-the-money by April. The current share price would need to experience an increase of 66% in order to surpass the breakeven point on the trade located at $7.60. Whether the shares can breach the breakeven point or not, this investor can still capitalize on today’s position with even a slight rally in shares by selling premium.
IVN – Ivanhoe Mines Limited – The international mineral exploration and development company’s shares have rallied by 3% to stand at $4.59. IVN caught our attention when it edged onto our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner. Calls were in demand in the June contract, where over 12,300 calls were purchased…
German
Spanish
French
Italian
Portuguese
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Chinese
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
(