Investor Removes Comcast Strangle to Bank Profits
by Andrew Wilkinson - February 19th, 2010 4:33 pm
Today’s tickers: CMCSA, HSY, GLD, ORCL, XRT, ERTS, FXI, PFE, SII & JCP
CMCSA - Comcast Corp. – A large-volume short strangle established at the beginning of the month on the entertainment and communications services firm was unraveled today, yielding one investor a nice chunk of change heading into the weekend. Comcast’s shares are up 1% to $15.89 in afternoon trading. It appears the trader originally sold roughly 35,000 calls at the July $17 strike for a volume-weighted average premium of $0.74 apiece in combination with the sale of 35,000 puts at the July $14 strike for a premium of $0.74 each. The original transaction likely occurred on February 4, 2010, and yielded a gross premium of $1.48 per contract to the trader. Today the investor purchased-to-close the short strangle, buying back the calls at a reduced premium of $0.60 each, and buying the put options for $0.56 apiece. The trader paid a gross premium of $1.16 to close out the short stance. Therefore, the investor walks away with net profits of $0.32 per contract for a grand total of $1.120 million. It is important to note, however, that the trader left a great deal of money sitting on the table. Comcast’s shares are still trading within the boundaries of the $14/$17 strike prices required for maximum profit potential. The investor would have accumulated profits of $1.48 per contract – a total of $5.180 million – if CMCSA shares remained range-bound and if the trader held the position through expiration. Perhaps this individual unraveled the strangle in anticipation of greater volatility in the price of the underlying stock going forward.
HSY - The Hershey Company – Bullish investors satisfied sugar cravings this afternoon by devouring Hershey call options. Shares of the chocolatier rallied 2.70% to $39.88 today. Option traders picked up 1,600 calls at the March $41 strike for a premium of $0.47 apiece. The higher March $42.5 strike attracted greater volume with more than 5,300 calls purchased for a premium of $0.23 per contract. Higher-strike call buyers are positioned to accumulate profits if Hershey’s share price exceeds its current 52-week high of $42.25, attained back on July 23, 2009, by expiration next month. These optimistic individuals profit if shares increase 7.15% from the current price to surpass the effective breakeven point on the calls at $42.73.
GLD - SPDR Gold Trust ETF – Shares of the gold exchange-traded fund, which mirrors the price of gold…
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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…
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Option Implied Volatility on JPM at Lowest Level Since Oct. 2007 Following Q4 Earnings
by Andrew Wilkinson - January 15th, 2010 4:21 pm
Today’s tickers: JPM, MNKD, CHK, BIDU, PFE, FXE, AA, SHFL, IBB & INTC
JPM – JPMorgan Chase & Co. – Profit-taking measures employed on the banking institution today show keen foresight by one investor who walked away from the table today with a nice chunk of change in his pocket. Shares of JPMorgan are currently trading 1.80% lower this afternoon to $43.89 even though the firm posted fourth-quarter earnings of $0.40 per share, which exceeded average analyst expectations by a margin of $0.13 a share. It looks like the investor banked gains on a previously established short put position in the February contract today by buying back the contracts at a discounted premium. The trader originally sold 20,000 puts at the February $42 strike for an average premium of $1.02 per contract this past Wednesday January 13, 2010. Today the same individual appears to have purchased-to-close the position by paying a lesser premium of $0.67 per contract. Net proceeds on the transaction amount to $0.35 apiece. The decline in shares of the underlying today certainly cut into the trader’s available profit, but the significant reduction in option implied volatility perhaps benefited the investor by weighing down option premiums. Option implied is 17.94% lower to stand at 25.13% – the lowest level since October of 2007 – as of 2:45 pm (EDT).
MNKD – MannKind Corp. – Shares of the biopharmaceutical company increased 7% in the first half of the trading day, but reversed direction in afternoon trading, falling 2.5% to stand at $10.10. Options activity in the May contract indicates lower volatility in the price of the underlying through expiration. It appears one investor initiated a short straddle play on the stock by selling 5,000 calls at the May $10 strike for a premium of $2.41 apiece, in combination with the sale of 5,000 puts at the same strike for $3.22 each. The straddle-seller pockets a gross premium of $5.63 per contract, which he keeps if MNKD’s shares settle at $10.00 by expiration. The transaction could be the work of an investor selling volatility. Implied volatility is currently up 8.4% to 122.16% with 90 minutes remaining in the session. The investor need not hold the short straddle through expiration in order to profit. Perhaps the trader is looking for a reduction in option implied volatility, which would likely result in lower premiums on both the calls and the puts. Lower option premiums allow the…
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Bullish Trader Quenches Thirst for Calls by Assembling Ratio Spread on PepsiCo
by Andrew Wilkinson - January 13th, 2010 4:12 pm
Today’s tickers: PEP, ODP, PFE, EK, AET, PFE, EWT, BIDU, ZION & SII
PEP – PepsiCo, Inc. – Global beverage and snack company, PepsiCo, attracted the attention of bullish option traders in late afternoon trading. PEP’s shares appreciated just less than 1% during the session to stand at $62.05 with 45 minutes remaining before the closing bell. It looks like one trader initiated a ratio call spread on the stock in order to position for continued upward momentum in the price of the underlying through expiration in April. The investor purchased 6,000 calls at the April $62.5 strike for an average premium of $1.93 apiece, spread against the sale of 12,000 calls at the higher April $65 strike for roughly $0.92 each. The net cost of the transaction amounts to just $0.09 per contract. Shares need only rise $0.54 over the current price in order for the investor to breakeven on the trade. Maximum available profits of $2.41 per contract accumulate if the price of PEP’s shares rally 4.75% to $65.00 by expiration day in April.
ODP – Office Depot, Inc. – A sold strangle play on the global supplier of office supplies this afternoon indicates one investor expects shares of Office Depot to remain range-bound for the next several months. ODP’s shares improved 1.25% during the trading day to arrive at $6.61 each. It appears the investor sold 15,000 calls at the April $7.5 strike for a premium of $0.30 apiece, and sold 15,000 put options at the lower April $6 strike for an average premium of $0.47 each. The strangler pockets a gross premium of $0.77 per contract, which he keeps in full as long as shares of the office supplies company trade within the strike prices described above, through expiration. Lower volatility in the price of the underlying shares as well as declines in option implied volatility on the stock benefit the investor in this case. The trader is exposed to losses, however, if shares of Office Depot swing outside of the upper breakeven price of $8.27, or if the stock declines beneath the lower breakeven point at $5.23 by expiration.
PFE – Pfizer, Inc. – Massive chunks of long-dated call options traded on the pharmaceutical company this afternoon. It is unclear what the exact motivation or position of the responsible party is, but it certainly appears to be the work of a Pfizer-bull. Shares continue to rally today with the current price…
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IYR-Investor Constructs Three-Legged Bullish Combination Play Despite Declining Market
by Andrew Wilkinson - January 12th, 2010 4:11 pm
Today’s tickers: IYR, PFE, FXI, WFT, UUP, JPM, GLD, ERTS, STJ & PVH
IYR – iShares Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index ETF – Bullish options activity on the IYR flies in the face of bearish momentum across equities in the broader market today. The investor responsible for the optimistic positioning in the February contract appears little concerned with the current 2% decline in the value per IYR share today to $45.31. It looks like the trader sold a put credit spread in order to offset the cost of buying out-of-the-money call options. The three-legged combination involved the sale of 10,000 puts at the February $45 strike for a premium of $1.56 each, spread against the purchase of 10,000 puts at the lower February $42 strike for $0.65 apiece. The net credit of $0.91 per contract received on the credit spread is more than enough to cover the cost of the 10,000 calls purchased at the February $48 strike for $0.55 each. After establishing all three legs of the spread, the trader pockets $0.36 per contract. The investor keeps the full $0.36 only if IYR’s shares trade above $45.00 through expiration next month. Additional profits amass only if shares of the fund rally 6% from the current price to surpass $48.00. We note that the investor responsible for the trade may suffer maximum potential losses of $2.64 per contract if the price of the underlying slips to $42.00 by expiration day.
PFE – Pfizer, Inc. – A bullish risk reversal on the global pharmaceutical company today suggests shares may rally to $20.00 by expiration in June. Pfizer’s shares withstood downward market pressure for the majority of the trading session, and even climbed slightly higher in earlier trading, but edged 0.75% lower to $18.70 by 2:15 pm (EDT). The reversal play involved the sale of 10,000 in-the-money put options at the June $20 strike for a premium of $2.07 apiece, spread against the purchase of 10,000 out-of-the-money call options at the same strike for $0.70 in premium. The investor receives a net credit of $1.37 per contract, which he keeps if PFE’s shares rally up to $20.00 by expiration. The short sale of put options implies the trader is willing to have shares put to him at an effective price of $18.63 each. However, the investor would optimally like to see shares rally at least 7% over the current price to surpass the breakeven price…
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2010 Outlook - A Tale of Two Economies
by Phil - December 27th, 2009 6:54 am
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." - Charles Dickens, 1859
Dickens famous novel (which was originally written as a weekly series in 31 installments) depicts life in the time of the French revolution but was also a parable, meant to warn the British aristocracy that they should not ingore the parallels to the social inequities that existed at the time in England. Dickens warned the nobles that the seeds of revolution were planted through unjust acts and surely there would be a time of reaping yet to come.
It is said that the French Revolution was sparked by outrage over a statement by the Queen Mary Antoinette who, when told that the peasants had no bread to eat, supposedly replied (she never actually said this) "Qu’ils mangent de la brioche" or "Then let them eat cake." It’s hard for us to imagine the impact of this statement in modern times but "peasants" were 90% of the population at the time and bread was 90% of what they ate, consuming 50% of the average family’s income (people weren’t silly enough to pay for housing back then - they just found a bit of land, bought some wood and nails and built their own homes). Brioche was a luxury combination of bread enriched with flour and butter so the statement "Qu’ils mangent de la brioche" implies both lack of caring and cluelessness on the part of the Queen.
The United States had what passes for a revolution between 2006 and 2008 as we threw out the Republicans and went with a Democrat-controlled government. While the Bush administration, the Republican Congress and Fox News may have been as clueless as a French Queen to the plight of the people - the fact of the matter is that the base pay of top management rose 78% from 2002-2007 while…
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Merry Christmas Eve
by Phil - December 24th, 2009 8:28 am
First of all, what are you doing here?
Why it’s Christmas Eve, Mr. Scrooge - Most global markets are having a half day so, if you are waiting for a Santa Clause rally on a half-day’s trading, you are very likely to be disappointed.
Remember Marley, who cried: "Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"
Marley was a man who worked and worked until the day he died and regretted it every day after. If you don’t believe in an afterlife and you don’t believe in leaving behind the World a better place than you found it, at least find some time for yourself so people don’t call you "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!"
Those covetous old sinners in Congress passed the Health Care Bill in the Senate today with a 60-39 vote (Republican Jim Bunning did not vote against the bill but was too chicken to actually vote for it) so we can pretty much count on it moving through the House and on to Obama’s desk in the very near future. While it’s a total botch-job of a bill, at least America has taken the first civilized strep to recognizing that health care is a right and not a privilege - Tiny Tim would be very proud!
We were told by Fox that Health Care reform would destroy the universe but the market has taken the December passage of the bill very much in stride so maybe we should have just gone for it with Universal Health Care after all… Oh well, maybe next year! Meanwhile, we’ll be looking for good investing opportunities once we get a handle on the final bill but I still favor the device space (IHI, MDT, BSX, JNJ, GE, ISRG) as well as big pharma (MRK, PFE), who will be able to serve tens of millions of new customers. Hospitals (UHS, THC) should also start filling up and we always like our CELG as well as AMGN, who should also benefit from adding a population the size of England to the health care rolls right here in the USA. I’m waiting for the final bill but home health care providers (AMED, ADUS, GTIV) also look like winners so lots of fun investing opportunities in one of the fastest growing markets on…
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Bank of America Bearish Option Position Closed – Shares Rally
by Andrew Wilkinson - November 5th, 2009 4:33 pm
Today’s tickers: BAC, MCD, ADM, XRT, CVS, STT, PFE, CVS, FSYS & AEO
BAC - Bank of America Corp. – One investor banked profits today by unraveling a massive bearish credit spread established back on October 28, 2009. The trader’s decision to take profits ahead of expiration could be a bullish sign for BAC. Shares are trading up 2% near the end of the trading day to stand at $15.00. The investor originally sold approximately 130,000 calls at the November 16 strike for an average premium of 49 cents apiece, spread against the purchase of the same number of calls at the higher November 17.5 strike for 15 cents each. The trader received a net credit of 34 cents per contract on the transaction. Today, the investor left money on the table by closing out ahead of expiration. It appears he sold the upper strike calls for 4 pennies and bought back the lower strike calls for 19 cents apiece. Net profits received for unraveling the spread amount to 19 cents per contract for a total of $2.47 million. One might interpret such a decision as a bullish signal for BAC because the trader decided to walk away with 19 cents – half of the maximum profit potential of 34 cents. The investor would only have been able to retain the full 34 cents if shares traded beneath $16.00 through expiration day in November.
MCD - McDonald’s Corp. – A bullish risk reversal in the January 2010 contract significantly reduced the price paid by one investor establishing an optimistic stance on the fast-food chain. Shares of MCD are trading 1.5% higher today to $61.20 despite yesterday’s downgrade to ‘hold’ by analysts at EVA Dimensions. The investor sold 13,000 put options at the January 60 strike for an average premium of 1.91 apiece to partially offset the cost of purchasing 13,000 in-the-money calls at the same strike for 2.51 each. The net cost of the reversal amounts to 60 cents per contract.
ADM - Archer Daniels Midland Co. – Food products company, Archer Daniels Midland, jumped onto our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner this afternoon due to bullish activity in the March 2010 contract. Shares edged 0.5% higher to $32.37 during the trading session after the firm revealed better-than-expected first-quarter profits of 77 cents per share. One investor sold out-of-the-money put options to partially finance the purchase of a bull call spread. The call spread…
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Brazilian Stocks Capture Option Traders’ Imagination
by Andrew Wilkinson - October 15th, 2009 2:25 am
Today’s tickers: VALE, EWZ, NYX, PFE, HOG, XRT, S & ROVI
VALE - Vale S.A. – Rio de Janeiro-based mining company, Vale S.A., experienced a 6.25% surge in shares today to $26.57. Perhaps the jump in shares is due to unconfirmed news the company plans to invest $5.8 billion to expand projects in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In options-land one investor took a bullish stance by selling puts to buy calls. It appears the risk reversal involved the sale of 4,000 puts at the November 23 strike for 45 cents apiece, spread against the purchase of 4,000 calls at the higher November 28 strike for 38 cents premium each. The investor receives a net credit of 7 pennies per contract on the trade. He will retain the full credit as long as shares of VALE remain higher than $23.00 through expiration day. To add to profits shares must climb 5% higher to surpass the breakeven price of $28.00.
EWZ - iShares MSCI Brazil Index ETF – Bullish call action in the March contract today certainly jives with the 3.25% rally in shares of the exchange-traded fund to $75.18. An investor hoping for further upward movement in the price of EWZ shares enacted a call spread. The trader bought 2,500 calls at the now in-the-money March 73 strike for an average premium of 7.00 each, and simultaneously sold 2,500 calls at the higher March 78 strike for 4.54 apiece. The net cost of the bullish play amounts to 2.46 per contract. Thus, the investor stands to accumulate maximum potential profits of 2.54 if shares rise to $78.00 by expiration in March. Profits start to accumulate if shares break through $75.46, which is just 28 cents above the current price per share. But, the stock must climb 4% to $78.00 for the investor to revel in maximum available profits of $635,000.
NYX - NYSE Euronext, Inc. – Bullish call buying this afternoon pushed New York Stock Exchange operator, NYSE Euronext, onto our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner. Shares of NYX are currently trading 5% higher to stand at $29.81. Investors expecting continued upward movement in the stock scooped up call options in the November contract. The November 30 strike had 2,100 calls purchased for an average premium of 1.13 each, while the November 31 strike had 1,200 calls coveted for 82 cents premium apiece. Finally, super-bullish traders looked to the higher November 33…
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Bull and Bear Energy Views Played Out in XLE Options
by Andrew Wilkinson - August 24th, 2009 4:36 pm
Today’s tickers: XLE, PFE, FRE, GLD, DELL, WLP, LMT & FNM
XLE - Shares of the energy fund are up more than 1% to $52.92. We observed near-term bearishness and medium-term bullishness displayed through options on the ETF today. A ratio put spread initiated in the September contract indicates near-term pessimism by some traders. The transaction involved the purchase of 2,500 puts at the September 52 strike for 1.69 apiece spread against the sale of 5,000 puts at the lower September 48 strike for 55 cents each. The net cost of the trade amounts to 59 cents and yields maximum potential profits to the downside of 3.41 if shares fall to $48.00 by expiration. Bullish sentiment was seen at the December 57 strike where 2,100 calls were coveted for 2.00 apiece. An 11.5% rally in shares to the breakeven price of $59.00 will allow this optimistic energy player to begin to amass profits by expiration in December. – Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF –
PFEA - Short straddle initiated in the pharmaceutical company’s January 2011 contract today suggests far-term bullish sentiment on the stock. Shares of PFE are currently higher by approximately 0.5% to $16.71. The straddle was enacted at the January 20 strike where 15,000 calls were shed for 1.12 apiece and 15,000 puts sold for 4.90 per contract. The gross premium on the transaction amounts to 6.02, and will be fully retained by the straddle-seller if shares settle at $20.00 by expiration. Over the next sixteen months shares must rally about 20% for the trader to bank the full 6.02 premium. If the stock fails to center at $20.00, the investor’s premium will erode down to zero if shares move sufficiently in either direction. Once the entire premium has evaporated, the trader will begin to accrue losses above the breakeven point to the upside at $26.02 or beneath the breakeven point to the downside at $13.98. We note that Pfizer has not traded above $20.00 since May 20, 2008. Nearer-term trades indicate that investors may be bracing for declines in the stock. The October 16 strike price had 4,100 puts picked up for 43 cents apiece while the higher December 17 strike had about 2,400 puts purchased at 1.34 per contract. – Pfizer, Inc. –
FRE - Investors were observed making bullish bets on Freddie today as shares soared higher than 30% at times to a maximum of $2.34. Shares are currently up 23% 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...
Ilene is editor and affiliate program
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