Blackberry Bull Banks Profits as RIMM Shares Rebound

by Andrew Wilkinson - December 7th, 2009 4:13 pm

Today’s tickers: RIMM, BAC, VZ, CAG, NYB, RMBS, TEVA, DIS & NVDA

RIMM - Research in Motion Limited – Blackberry maker, Research in Motion, revealed a distribution deal with Digital China – a unit of Legend Holdings – aimed at expanding its business in China. Shares stood 2.5% higher to $60.22 thirty minutes before the closing bell. One option investor banked profits on a previously established call position in the January 2010 contract today. It appears the trader originally purchased 25,000 calls at the January 80 strike for 30 cents apiece on December 4, 2009. Today the investor shed all 25,000 lots for 43 cents each. Net profits on the closing sale amount to 13 cents per contract for total gains of $325,000. Option implied volatility on the stock is up slightly on the day to 59.91%.

BAC - Bank of America Corp. – A bearish risk reversal on Bank of America this afternoon suggests one investor expects shares to suffer significant declines by expiration in May 2010. BAC’s shares slipped 2% to $15.98 in late-day trading. It appears the pessimistic player shed 7,500 calls at the May 22 strike for 36 cents apiece in order to partially offset the cost of buying the same number of put options at the lower May 13 strike for 70 cents premium each. The net cost of the transaction amounts to 34 cents per contract. The effective breakeven point on the put options of $12.66 is 20.77% lower than the current price per BAC share. The investor responsible for the reversal could be taking an extremely bearish bet on Bank of America. If this is the case, the investor expects shares to nosedive down to lows experienced at the end of July 2009. Alternatively, the trader could be long the stock, and financing cheap downside protection by selling covered call options. The long puts serve as protection in case the stock tumbles, whereas the short calls suggest the investor is happy to have the underlying stock position called from him at $22.00 each. Shares of BAC would need to rally 38% from the current price in order for the March 22 strike calls to land in-the-money.

VZ - Verizon Communications, Inc. – Option traders displayed mixed near-term sentiment on the communications company this afternoon. Shares edged 2% higher to a new 52-week high of $33.36 with less than one hour remaining in the trading session. Bullish traders picked up…

Tags: BAC, CAG, DIS, NVDA, NYB, RIMM, RMBS, TEVA, VZ

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Staples Firm – Proctor & Gamble Options Suggest Further Upside

by Andrew Wilkinson - November 6th, 2009 4:53 pm

Today’s tickers: PG, CTXS, LINTA, HIG, CVS, UUP, VIX, AONE, SWKS, CLX, BCSI & NVDA

PG - The Proctor & Gamble Co. – Bullish action on Proctor & Gamble today suggests one investor expects shares to continue to rally ahead of expiration in November. Shares are currently trading 1% higher to $61.13. The trader purchased 10,000 calls at the now in-the-money November 60 strike for 1.39 each, and simultaneously sold 10,000 calls at the higher November 62.5 strike for 26 cents apiece. The net cost of buying the call spread amounts to 1.13 per contract and yields maximum potential profits of 1.37 each if shares rally up to $62.50 by expiration. Shares need only rally another 2.2% from the current price to reach the $62.50-level.

CTXS - Citrix Systems, Inc. – Software developer, Citrix Systems, attracted bullish option traders to the November contract today amid a 1% increase in shares to $38.80. Investors displayed optimistic sentiment on the stock by selling approximately 10,600 puts at the November 35 strike for 10 cents premium apiece. Put-sellers retain the full dime-per-contract as long as shares remain above $35.00 through expiration this month. Shares of CTXS have traded above $36.00 since September 4, 2009.

LINTA - Liberty Media Corp. – Shares of the broadcasting and entertainment company rallied 1% during the trading session to $12.14. Plain-vanilla call buying action on the stock today suggests some investors expect shares to rise significantly by expiration in January 2010. Traders purchased about 11,800 calls at the January 15 strike for an average premium of 25 cents apiece. Call-buyers will accumulate profits if shares surge at least 26% from the current price to surpass the breakeven point at $15.25 by expiration.

HIG - Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. – Medium-term investors placed bearish bets on the insurance and financial services firm today. Shares are currently trading less than 0.25% higher to $24.16 after suffering significant erosion throughout the week. One pessimistic trader initiated a bearish risk reversal in the January 2010 contract. The investor sold 4,500 calls at the January 27 strike for an average premium of 78 cents apiece to partially finance the purchase of the same number of put options at the lower January 21 strike for 1.68 each. The net cost of the transaction is reduced to a more palatable 90 cents per contract, but does leave the investor exposed in the event of a rally of more than 11.7% by expiration…

Tags: AONE, BCSI, CLX, CTXS, CVS, HIG, LINTA, NVDA, PG, SWKS, UUP, VIX

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Elan Reversals Indicate Bearish Sentiment

by Andrew Wilkinson - June 30th, 2009 4:03 pm

Today’s tickers: ELN, NOK, WYE, ELX, GERN, VALE, NVDA & EXC

ELN – The neuroscience-based biotechnology company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, jumped onto our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner after a massive bearish reversal was initiated on the stock. Shares are currently lower by more than 5% to $6.59. It looks as though one trader sold 30,500 calls at the January 2010 10 strike price for 50 cents apiece in order to finance the purchase of 30,500 puts at the January 5.0 strike for 74 cents per contract. The net cost of getting long the protective put options amounts to 24 cents. We note that the existing open interest present at both strike prices exceeds the volume traded today. But, it does not appear that this trade represents an attempt to close a previously established position. – Elan Corporation PLC

NOK– The manufacturer of mobile devices has experienced a share price decline of more than 3% to stand at $14.55. We observed a number of bearish trades by investors active on the stock today amid a rating initiated as ‘underperform’ by analysts at BMO Capital Markets. Traders appear to be bracing for significant declines in the price of the underlying as the October 11 strike price saw more than 11,000 put options purchased for 32 cents apiece. Shares would need to plummet 27% from today’s price before profits begin to amass for put-holders at the breakeven point of $10.68. Additional evidence of bearish sentiment was seen at the January 2010 20 strike price where 5,400 calls were shed for 39 cents per contract. – Nokia Corporation

WYE– A sudden frenzy of bullish call activity on the pharmaceutical company was picked up by our scanners this afternoon amid a slight 0.5% decline in shares to $45.12. It appears that the investor or investors responsible for the call action expect Wyeth’s shares to move higher. Perhaps such sentiment stems from speculation regarding the proposed Pfizer-Wyeth merger, which will be put to a shareholder vote at Wyeth on July 20, 2009. In the nearer-term August contract, it looks as though a long call position was rolled to a higher strike price resulting in fresh buying of some 5,000 calls at the August 50 strike price for 15 cents apiece. The calls appear to have been rolled from the existing open interest at the lower August 45 strike where 5,000 lots look to have been sold for a…

Tags: ELN, ELX, EXC, GERN, NOK, NVDA, VALE, WYE

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Continental Butterflies

by Andrew Wilkinson - June 12th, 2009 4:26 pm

Today’s tickers: CAL, POT, EEM, RMBS, NVDA & FXI

CAL – Shares of the U.S. air carrier are lower by approximately 1% today to $9.19 amid total declines of 12% on the stock since the opening bell on Monday morning. One option trader was observed make a bullish play on CAL, hoping to see clearer skies in the airline’s future. The investor established a long butterfly spread in the September contract by selling 10,000 calls at the September 12.5 strike price [body] for a premium of 65 cents. The body of the spread was combined with the purchase of 5,000 calls at the September 10 strike for 1.40 apiece [wing 1] as well as the purchase of 5,000 calls at the September 14 strike price for 37 cents per contract [wing 2]. The transaction cost the trader a net 47 cents (1*1.40 [wing 1] + 1*0.37 [wing 2] – 2*0.65 [body] = 0.47). Maximum potential profits of 2.03 will be realized by this individual if shares of CAL can rally 36% to $12.50 by expiration. A long butterfly spread was an excellent choice by the bullish investor responsible for the trade. The application of the spread effectively lowered the breakeven point to $10.47 instead of the breakeven point of $13.15 which would have resulted from pure bullish call buying at the central 12.5 strike price. – Continental Airlines, Inc.

POT – The feed products company has experienced a share price decline of 2.5% to $114.90. Taking advantage of the price erosion was one investor who sold a chunk of put options in the July contract. This individual was observed selling approximately 15,000 puts at the July 80 strike price for an average premium of 65 cents apiece. The aggregate premium enjoyed on the trade amounts to $975,000. He will retain the full premium assuming the price of POT remains higher than $80.00 by expiration next month. Inherent in the short sale is the obligation of the writer to have shares put to him at expiration if indeed shares plummet more than $34.00 or 30% in the next month. – Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Inc.

EEM– It appears that an option investor was drawn into looking for downside protection in emerging markets today judging by the sizeable September expiration strategy seen in this morning’s trade. Shares are currently trading at $33.71 for a 1.5% loss today. Meanwhile this investor placed a ratio put spread, which…

Tags: CAL, EEM, FXI, NVDA, POT, RMBS

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Nvdia Options Under the Spotlight

by Andrew Wilkinson - June 10th, 2009 5:54 pm

Today’s tickers: NVDA, BJS, LDK, MCD, CAT, MGM & IYR

NVDA– The worldwide provider of visual computing technologies has seen shares rally more than 1% today to $11.51. We observed a number of option traders getting bullish on the stock and looking for continued upward movement as far out as expiration in January 2010. The near-term June contract attracted one investor to bank profits. It appears that this individual originally bought 10,000 calls at the June 11 strike price for 35 cents back on May 29, 2009 in the expectation of a rally in the stock. Today, with the June 11 calls in-the-money, he exited the position by selling the options for a premium of 75 cents apiece. The net profit pocketed on the trade amounts to 40 cents per contract or $400,000. Looking at the June 12.5 strike price, a similar strategy was employed albeit at a loss. We note that the transaction may or may not have been the work of the same investor described in the previous trade. Some 43,000 calls were sold for a dime apiece at the 12.5 strike today and look to have been originally purchased for an average premium of 18 cents. This transaction yields a net loss of 8 cents or $344,000. If both trades were initiated by the same individual, he would still be rewarded for his efforts in the amount of $56,000. Additional activity on NVDA was a massive chunk of 60,000 calls which traded to the middle of the market at the July 12 strike for an average premium of 75 cents each. Rounding out July activity was optimistic call buying enacted at the July 13 strike price where 2,000 lots were scooped up for 35 cents a pop. Finally, a bullish reversal took place in the January 2010 contract where 5,000 puts were shed at the January 10 strike price for a premium of 1.28 in order to finance the purchase of 5,000 calls at the sky-high January 15 strike for 98 cents each. The investor responsible for this trade has taken a credit of 30 cents and will add to his profits if shares can rally 30% and breach the breakeven point at $15.00 by expiration next year. – NVDIA Corporation

BJS – The oilfield services firm has experienced a share price decline of approximately 1% to $15.30. Despite the bearish movement in the stock, investors were seen taking…

Tags: BJS, CAT, IYR, LDK, MCD, MGM, NVDA

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