Short Strangle Strategist Suggests Range-Bound Shares for China Fund
by Option Review - April 16th, 2010 4:12 pm
Today’s tickers: FXI, GFI, MCO, KWK, GME, JDSU & SVU
FXI – iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index Fund – A large-volume short strangle enacted on the FXI, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the price and yield performance of the FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index – an index designed to mirror the performance of 25 of the largest and most liquid Chinese companies, implies one big options player expects shares of the underlying fund to train within a specified range through May expiration. Shares of the FXI are down more than 4% to $42.12 as of 12:15 pm (ET). The strangle-player sold 25,000 calls at the May $44 strike for a premium of $0.93 each, and sold 25,000 puts at the lower May $42 strike for $1.09 apiece. Gross premium pocketed on the transaction amounts to $2.02 per contract. The investor responsible for the short strangle keeps the full $2.02 premium received today as long as the FXI’s share price remains with the range of $42.00 to $44.00 through expiration day next month. The short position in both call and put options exposes the trader to losses in the event that shares rally above the upper breakeven price of $46.02, or if shares slip beneath the lower breakeven price of $39.98, ahead of May expiration. Options implied volatility is up 11.4% to 30.82% as of 12:20 pm (ET).
GFI – Gold Fields Ltd. – Shares of the gold mining company are down more than 5.2% to $12.35 today, but bullish options trading on the stock suggests one trader is itching for a rebound in the price of the underlying shares by July expiration. Gold Fields received an upgrade to ‘outperform’ from ‘sector perform’ earlier in the week at RBC Capital. The optimistic individual sold 7,000 calls at the July $15 strike for a premium of $0.20 apiece in order to partially finance the purchase of the same number of in-the-money calls options at the April $12 strike for $0.90 each. The net cost of getting long the near-term in-the-money options amounts to $0.70 per contract. The parameters of this transaction somewhat mimic those of a covered call strategy. This is because the in-the-money calls in the April contract – assuming shares are able to resist slipping beneath $12.00 through the end of the trading session – allow the investor to take ownership of shares of the underlying stock at an effective price…
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DiggOptions Player Reveals Long-Term Bullish Sentiment on AIG
by Option Review - March 12th, 2010 4:19 pm
Today’s tickers: AIG, MU, F, POT, CLF, PAYX, ERIC, SVU, LFC & CA
AIG – American International Group, Inc. – The insurer’s shares experienced a fantastic 56.7% run up from its low point in the current month of $24.54 on March 3, 2010, up to yesterday’s intraday high of $38.45. During the current session, AIG surrendered a small portion of its recent share price gains, slipping slightly lower by 1.40% to stand at $34.62 in afternoon trading. Extreme-bullish positioning in long-dated options caught our attention today as one investor established a call spread in the January 2011 contract. The optimistic trader purchased 5,500 calls at the January 2011 $50 strike for a premium of $3.65 apiece, and sold the same number of calls at the higher January 2011 $75 strike for $1.30 each. The net cost of the transaction, and maximum loss potential faced by the investor, amounts to $2.35 per contract. American International Group’s shares must surge 51.2% from the current price of $34.62 in order for the trader to break even on the spread at $52.35 per share. Perhaps the individual responsible for the trade expects AIG’s shares to rebound up to the current 52-week high on the stock of $55.90 (attained back on August 28, 2009), or above within the next ten months to expiration. Maximum available profits of $22.65 per contract – total gains of $12.4575 million – accumulate for the bullish player if AIG’s shares jump 116.6% from today’s price to $75.00 by January expiration day. Shares last traded above $75.00 back in October of 2008.
MU – Micron Technology, Inc. – A large-volume long-term bullish transaction on the manufacturer of semiconductor devices indicates one big options player anticipates continued upward movement in the price of Micron’s shares by expiration in January 2011. Shares rallied 2.55% to $10.05 this afternoon, but earlier increased more than 4% to reach an intraday high of $10.25. The optimistic investor purchased a debit call spread in by picking up 20,000 in-the-money call options at the January 2011 $10 strike for a premium of $2.07 apiece, marked against the sale of 20,000 calls at the higher January 2011 $15 strike for $0.58 each. The net cost of the spread amounts to $1.49 per contract, positioning the investor to amass profits if Micron’s shares exceed the breakeven price of $11.49 by expiration next year. Maximum potential profits of $3.51 per contract…
Looming Lululemon Earnings Lifts Implied Volatility – Puts in Demand
by Option Review - December 9th, 2009 4:06 pm
Today’s tickers: LULU, XLE, OIH, JPM, IOC, CYB, AMSC, MW, SVU & JTX
LULU – Lululemon Athletica, Inc. – Investors are hoarding put options on athletic apparel maker, Lululemon Athletica, ahead of the firm’s third-quarter earnings report scheduled for release after market close. LULU’s shares rallied as much as 3.8% to an intraday high of $27.84. The stock is currently up 2.75% to $27.56 with 45 minutes remaining in the trading session. Some analysts expect the Canada-based company will record earnings of 19 cents per share on revenue of $111 million. Option traders hedged against an earnings disappointment by purchasing puts. Approximately 6,800 put options were coveted by investors at the January 25 strike for an average premium of 1.23 apiece. Put-buyers are positioned to profit if shares fall through the breakeven price of $23.77 by January’s expiration day. Mounting investor anticipation for third-quarter earnings and the increase in demand for option contracts on the stock boosted option implied volatility throughout the session. Volatility rose 10.85% from an opening reading of 59.93% to an intraday high of 67.52%.
XLE – Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF – Shares of the exchange-traded fund comprised of companies in the oil, gas, and energy equipment industries, fell 1% during the trading day to $54.30. A massive put spread by one investor indicates shares of the XLE may decline further by the time the quarterly December contract options expire on December 31st, 2009. It appears the bearish trader purchased 74,800 puts at the December 53 strike for 95 cents apiece, spread against the sale of 74,800 puts at the lower December 48 strike for 13 pennies each. The net cost of the pessimistic play amounts to 82 cents per contract. The investor likely holds a long position in the underlying stock. The puts serve to protect the value of the stock position in case shares continue to decline. Downside protection kicks in if shares of the XLE decline beneath the breakeven point at $52.18 by expiration on the final day of 2009.
OIH – Oil Service HOLDRs Trust – Shares of the OIH exchange-traded fund rallied 1.25% to $112.69 today. We observed bearish options activity on the fund despite the bullish movement in the price of the underlying. A put spread enacted in the January 2010 contract suggests some investors feel the need for downside protection through expiration next year. It looks like 1,500 puts…
Reversal combinations at play in Lamar Advertising
by Option Review - May 1st, 2009 6:03 pm
Today’s tickers: LAMR, SVU, DIS, CHRW & OI
LAMR Lamar Advertising Company – Shares of the outdoor advertising company have remained relatively flat and currently stand at $16.92 today. LAMR appeared on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner after one investor appears to have taken a bullish stance on the stock in the June contract. It looks as though this individual sold about 5,100 puts at the June 12.5 strike price for an average premium of 58 cents apiece in order to fund the purchase of some 5,100 calls picked up at the June 20 strike for 1.32 each. The net cost of getting long of the calls amounts to 47 cents. In order to profit from the bullish position shares would need to rally by about 21% to the breakeven point located at $20.47 by expiration.
SVU Supervalu, Inc. – The grocery retailer has climbed by about 1% to $16.51 per share. We observed some investors taking a bullish position on the stock by selling about 1,400 puts at the June 15 strike price for about 72 cents each in order to fund the purchase of 1,400 calls at the June 17.5 strike for an average premium of 65 cents. The trade results in a 7 cent credit to the investor who is looking for shares to climb by 6% from the current price in order for the calls to land in-the-money by expiration. The same strike prices described above were also targeted by a trader who appears to have established a sold strangle by shedding approximately 3,600 puts at the June 15 strike for about 72 cents while also selling the same amount of calls for 68 cents each at the June 17.5 strike. The strangle strategy yields a gross premium of 1.40 and will be fully retained by the investor if the share price remains ‘strangled’ between the two strike prices. The trader would face losses at any share price below the breakeven to the downside at $13.60 or at any price above the breakeven to the upside at $18.90.
DIS The Walt Disney Co. – Shares have declined by about 3% to $21.20 today amid news that the entertainment company plans to obtain a 27% stake in the third most popular video website, Hulu.com. The DIS ticker jumped onto our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner after one investor fiddled with put options…
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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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