Pre-Earnings Report Call Spreader Sees Perrigo Co. Rally Ahead
by Option Review - August 3rd, 2011 2:50 pm
Today’s tickers: PRGO, BPL, CLH & CHS
PRGO - Perrigo Co. – Shares in global healthcare supplier Perrigo Company may rise substantially in the next few weeks, according to one options player initiating a debit call spread on the stock this morning. The manufacturer of OTC and generic prescription pharmaceuticals as well as nutritional and medical diagnostic products reports fourth-quarter earnings ahead of the open on August 16. Shares in Perrigo are currently up 0.55% to stand at $86.24 as of 12:45 pm in New York. It looks like the bullish strategist picked up 1,500 in-the-money calls at the August $85 strike for a premium of $2.58 each, and sold the same number of calls up at the August $95 strike at a premium of $0.23 apiece. Net premium paid to initiate the spread amounts to $2.35 per contract, thus positioning the trader to profit should shares in PRGO rally 1.3% to surpass the effective breakeven price of $87.35 at August expiration. The call-spreader could walk away with maximum potential profits of $7.65 per contract in the event that Perrigo’s shares surge 10.2% to a new all-time high of $95.00 by expiration day. PRGO’s shares hit their current record-high of $94.61 on July 21.
BPL - Buckeye Partners, L.P. – Put options on Houston, TX-based pipeline operator, Buckeye Partners, are in demand this afternoon, with shares in the name trading slightly lower by 0.45% to arrive at $63.46 just before 1:00 pm on the East Coast. The provider of transportation, terminalling and storage of petroleum products is scheduled to report second-quarter results before the market opens on Friday. Investors expecting shares in Buckeye pull back purchased nearly 1,500 puts at the September $60 strike for an average premium of $1.27 per contract. It looks like most of the volume was generated by one investor buying 1,300 of the contracts at $1.25 a-pop. The trader may be hedging a long position in the underlying, or could be taking an outright bearish stance on the stock. Profits are…