Target Corp. Call Options Active As Shares Hit Record Highs
by Option Review - June 4th, 2013 8:07 pm
Today’s tickers: TGT, ONNN & CVS
TGT - Target Corp. – Weekly call buyers homed in on Target Corp. options during morning trading on Tuesday, a sign some traders are positioning for shares in the name to extend gains in the near term. The stock is trading up 1.7% at $72.23 just before midday in New York, after earlier rallying as much as 2.4% to a new all-time high of $72.77. Target’s shares have gained more than 25% since this time last year. The most active weekly contracts in play on TGT during the first half of the session are the Jun 07 ’13 $72.5 strike calls, with upwards of 1,800 contracts in play versus open interest of 640 contracts. It looks like most of the calls were purchased near the open for an average premium of $0.40 each, thus positioning buyers to profit at expiration in the event that shares settle above the average breakeven price of $72.90. Time and sales data indicates that the $72.5 weekly calls attracted buyers yesterday as well. On Monday around 600 of the $72.5 calls appear to have been purchased for an average premium of $0.11 apiece. Traders paying $0.11 per contract yesterday are seeing sizable overnight gains, with premium on the call options currently up four-fold at $0.48 each as of 12:10 p.m. ET.
ONNN - ON Semiconductor Corp. – Shares in ON Semiconductor rose 2.8% to a new 52-week high of $8.73 on Tuesday morning, extending the more than 30% upside move in the price of the underlying since this time last year. Options changing hands on ONNN in the early going today suggests at least one trader is positioning for shares to falter during the next four months. The buyer of roughly 900 puts at the Oct $7.0 strike for a premium of $0.25 apiece during the first 15 minutes of the session may be securing downside protection to hedge a position in the underlying shares, or may be initiating an outright bearish stance on ONNN through October expiration.…
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Options Traders Position for Possible RIMM Rebound
by Option Review - May 27th, 2011 4:48 pm
Today’s tickers: RIMM, CVS, CALL & JEC
RIMM - Research In Motion, Ltd. – Shares in the BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook tablet maker slipped today on news a class action lawsuit alleging RIMM misled investors has been filed in the U.S. against the Canadian company. The past couple of months have seen the value of the stock drop as much as 40.0% off a mid-February 52-week high of $70.54. RIMM’s revised outlook at the end of April for lower-than-previously anticipated earnings and revenue helped accelerate the stock’s pullback. Though headwinds against a RIMM-rebound are strong at present, it looks like some options strategists are positioning for a sharp recovery in the price of the underlying stock by January 2012 expiration. Shares in the smartphone maker pared earlier losses but remain flat on the session at $43.57 as of 11:50am in New York. Investors appear to have initiated bullish call butterfly spreads, buying roughly 1,500 calls at the Jan. 2012 $65 strike, selling some 3,000 calls at the Jan. 2012 $70 strike, and purchasing approximately 1,500 calls at the Jan. 2012 $75 strike, all for an average net premium of $0.16 per contract. The relatively cheap long-term bullish bet on a recovery story for RIMM could result in substantial profits, but the stock would need to soar 60.1% to $70.00 at expiration next year in order for call ‘fly players to bank maximum potential profits of $4.84 per contract. The parameters of the spread are such that maximum potential losses are limited to the premium paid, or roughly $0.16 per contract. Traders may very well lose the full $0.16 in premium come expiration, but it seems the prospect of potentially raking in 30 times as much is, according to these call ‘fly buyers, worth the risk. The BlackBerry provider reports first-quarter earnings after the final bell tolls on June 16, 2011.…
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Bearish Options Player Fashions Put Butterfly Spread on Retail SPDR ETF
by Option Review - April 6th, 2011 4:41 pm
Today’s tickers: XRT, TSN, CVS & AXL
XRT - SPDR S&P Retail ETF – A large bearish put butterfly spread on the retail ETF this afternoon suggests one options strategist is positioning for a pullback in the price of the underlying ahead of May expiration. Shares in the XRT, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of the S&P Select Industry Index, are down 0.20% to stand at $51.87 as of 12:30pm in New York. The pessimistic player traded a total of 80,000 put options on the fund, driving most of the volume generated on the XRT thus far in the session. It looks like the trader picked up 20,000 puts at the May $47 strike at a premium of $0.37 each, sold 40,000 puts at the May $49 strike for a premium of $0.67 apiece, and purchased 20,000 May $51 strike puts at a premium of $1.27 a-pop. The net cost of establishing the put ‘fly amounts to $0.30 per contract and positions the retail-bear to make money in the event that shares in the ETF fall another 2.3% from the current price of $51.87, to breach the upper breakeven price of $50.70 by May expiration day. Maximum potential profits of $1.70 per contract are available to the investor should shares in the fund fall 5.5% to settle at $49.00 at expiration. Enacting this strategy significantly reduces the overall cost of taking a bearish stance on the retail sector, as opposed to buying the May $51 strike puts outright or purchasing a debit put spread, for example. Additionally, the put ‘fly requires relatively smaller downside moves in XRT shares before the position to breaks even than the aforementioned strategies.
TSN - Tyson Foods, Inc. – Investors lunched on Tyson call options today with shares in the meat manufacturer rising as…
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Short Straddle With a Side of Stock on Display at Liberty Media
by Option Review - March 29th, 2011 4:11 pm
Today’s tickers: LINTA, MWW, CVS & AEP
LINTA - Liberty Media Interactive – A large stock and options combination play on the broadcasting and entertainment company appears to be the work of an investor hoping to see LINTA’s shares stagnate ahead of July expiration. Shares in the owner of QVC and Starz Entertainment are currently up 0.10% to stand at $15.80 as of 12:15pm in New York. The options player sold a sizable 15,000-lot July $15 strike straddle, taking in $1.40 per contract on the sale of the in-the-money calls, and pocketing $0.60 each on the sale of the put options. In conjunction with the short straddle, the trader purchased some 417,000 shares of the underlying at $15.80 each. The long stock position may be a way for the investor to guard against continued upward movement in the LINTA’s shares through expiration. Gross premium of $2.00 per contract, or $3 million, represents the maximum gain on the short straddle. The trader keeps the full premium if shares in Liberty drop to $15.00 and both the calls and the puts expire worthless at expiration in July. The investor will lose $0.80 per share on the long stock position, assuming he holds onto all legs of the trade, if the best-case scenario on the options leg of the transaction (shares trading at $15.00 each) is realized at expiration. The erosion of time value on the short options will work in his favor, as will declines in options implied volatility on LINTA.
MWW - Monster Worldwide, Inc. – Options traders employed bullish strategies on Monster Worldwide this morning with shares in the name rising as much as 1.7% to $15.55 as of 10:40am in New York. Call options on the global online resource that connects job seekers with hirers are in high demand thus…
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Call Options Fly Off the Shelves at Gannet Co.
by Option Review - October 8th, 2010 4:13 pm
Today’s tickers: GCI, XRT, GCI, JCP, TSN, GG & CVS
GCI - Gannett Co., Inc. – Call options on the publishing giant are in high demand today with shares of the underlying stock rising as much as 8.3% to an intraday high of $13.64. Gannett’s shares took off after the Wall Street Journal reported the company, along with the New York Times and News Corp., are looking to offer software apps for Samsung’s Galaxy tablet. Investors have thus far exchanged more than 6.25 calls on the stock for each single put contract in play as of 3:15 pm ET in New York trading. Near-term bullish players picked up some 5,300 now in-the-money calls at the October $13 strike for an average premium of $0.58 a-pop. Investors long the calls make money if the USA Today publisher’s shares exceed the average breakeven price of $13.58 by October expiration. Optimism spread to the higher October $14 strike where more than 6,100 call options changed hands. At least 1,500 of those contracts were purchased for an average premium of $0.42 each, while the bulk of the remaining volume traded to the middle of the market. Uber-bulls looked out to the November $15 strike to purchase approximately 2,500 calls at an average premium of $0.41 apiece. Call buyers at this strike are prepared to profit if GCI’s shares jump 5.645% over today’s high of $13.64 to exceed the average breakeven point at $15.41 by expiration day next month. Options implied volatility on Gannet Co. jumped 16.6% to 60.43% in late afternoon trading.
XRT - SPDR S&P Retail ETF – A sizeable put spread initiated on the XRT, an exchange-traded fund designed to replicate the performance of the S&P Retail Select Industry Index, could be the work of an investor bracing for a pullback in the price of the underlying fund ahead of January 2011 expiration. Shares of the fund increased 1.45% during the final trading day of the week to touch an intraday high of $43.02. The put player purchased…
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CVS’s Sympathy Rally Inspires Bullish Options Activity
by Option Review - September 28th, 2010 4:25 pm
Today’s tickers: CVS, DRIV, AVP, WAG, ADBE, PHM & COP
CVS - CVS Caremark Corp. – The better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings report from Walgreen Co. this morning helped CVS’s shares higher during the trading session. Shares rallied as much as 3.365% to rein in an intraday high of $31.64. The increase in the price of the underlying stock inspired one options player to extend bullish sentiment on the stock by initiating a calendar roll. It looks like the investor purchased 10,000 calls at the November $30 strike at a premium of $1.11 each back on September 17, 2010, when shares were trading around $29.72 each. The surge in shares since the purchase bumped up premium on those now in-the-money calls, which the investor sold today for a premium of $2.09 apiece. Net profits on the sale amount to $0.98 per contract. Next the investor renewed optimism on CVS by purchasing a fresh batch of 10,000 calls at the higher January 2011 $32 strike at a premium of $1.64 a-pop. Profits on the new position are available to the trader if CVS’s shares jump 6.3% to surpass the effective breakeven price of $33.64 by expiration day in January.
DRIV - Digital River, Inc. – It looks like an investor expecting Digital River’s shares to remain range-bound through November expiration sold a strangle in the second half of the trading session. Shares of the provider of a variety of marketing solutions and services increased more than 5.50% this afternoon to touch an intraday high of $33.34. The strangle-strategist appears to have sold 2,500 calls at the November $35 strike for a premium of $1.35 each, and sold the same number of puts at the lower November $28 strike at a premium of $0.525 apiece. Gross premium pocketed on the transaction amounts to $1.875 per contract. The trader keeps the full amount of premium received on the strangle play if DRIV’s shares trade within the boundaries of the strike prices described through expiration day. The short positions in both call…
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Bears Binge on Put Options as Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. Shares Nosedive
by Option Review - June 8th, 2010 4:21 pm
Today’s tickers: DO, GAP, RIG, WMS, IMA, BAX, IGT, CAT, CCJ, CVS & WM
DO – Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. – Shares of the world’s largest U.S. deep-water oil driller fell as much as 7.6% to an intraday low and new 52-week low of $54.70 after businessinsider.com reported the firm’s Ocean Saratoga rig is leaking crude into the Gulf of Mexico. Goldman Sachs’ ratings cut of Diamond Offshore shares to ‘sell’ from ‘neutral’, as well as a downgrade to ‘underperform’ from ‘market perform’ with a 12-month target share price of $54.00 at FBR Capital Markets, also helped drive the stock lower today. Bearish options investors populated the stock with pessimistic plays, buying near-term put options and selling calls in the June contract. Traders expecting Diamond’s shares to continue to decline purchased 1,200 now in-the-money puts at the June $58.63 strike for an average premium of $4.07 apiece. Investors holding these contracts profit if shares trade beneath the average breakeven price of $54.56 by June expiration. Buying interest spread to the lower June $54.88 strike where 1,100 puts were picked up for an average premium of $2.26 each. Another 1,100 puts were purchased at the June $53.63 strike for a premium of $1.82 per contract. Finally, uber-bearish players coveted 1,600 put options at the lower June $49.88 strike by paying an average premium of $0.92 apiece. Shares of the underlying stock must plunge 10.5% from the current intraday low of $54.70 before June $49.88 strike put buyers start to garner profits beneath the average breakeven price of $48.96. Investors not expecting Diamond’s shares to rally ahead of June expiration sold short 1,300 calls at the June $61.75 strike to pocket an average premium of $0.61 per contract. The premium is safe in call-sellers’ wallets as long as shares of the underlying stock trade below $61.75 through expiration day. Options implied volatility on Diamond Offshore Drilling is up 15.1% to 59.94% as of 3:10 pm (ET). Earlier implied volatility surged roughly 18% to 61.42%, DO’s highest reading of volatility in at least one year.
GAP – Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. – Investors bought put options on the operator of conventional supermarkets, combination food and drug stores and discount food stores today with shares of the underlying stock trading lower by 4.45% to stand at $4.08 as of 2:38 pm (ET). Pessimistic traders expecting GAP’s shares to continue to decline…
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Bullish Player Forecasts Sunnier Skies Over B of A by August Expiration
by Option Review - February 9th, 2010 4:07 pm
Today’s tickers: BAC, PBR, UAUA, BIIB, USO, MAC, NLY, NYX, CVS & KGC
BAC – Bank of America Corp. – Options trading in the August contract on Bank of America suggests a significant recovery in the value of the underlying shares within the next seven months to expiration. Shares spent the majority of the trading session in the red, but rallied in late-afternoon trading, improving 0.20% to $14.51. It looks like one trader sold 6,000 put options at the August $12 strike for a premium of $0.86 each in order to partially finance the purchase of 6,000 calls at the higher August $16 strike at a premium of $1.12 apiece. The net cost of the bullish risk reversal amounts to $0.26 per contract, positioning the investor to accumulate profits above a breakeven share price of $16.26. Shares of the underlying stock must rally at least 12% over the current price for the trader to break even on the transaction by August expiration. We note that B of A’s shares traded above $16.50 as recently as January 20, 2010.
PBR – Petroleo Brasileiro SA ADR – Shares of Brazil’s state-controlled oil company, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, rallied 3.70% to $39.60 today perhaps after the company stated natural gas output will increase to 93 million cubic meters in 2011, up from 85 million cubic meters in the current year. PetroBras-bulls stampeded the February contract this afternoon to sell roughly 15,000 puts at the February $39 strike for an average premium of $0.83 apiece. Investors selling short the puts retain the full premium received today as long as shares of the underlying stock trade above $39.00 through expiration day. Put-sellers are apparently happy to have shares put to them for an effective price of $38.17 each should the put contracts land in-the-money at expiration.
UAUA – UAL Corp. – Shares of the owner and operator of United Airlines surged 17% to a new 52-week high of $15.27 today amid better-than-expected unit revenue for the month of January. Optimistic option traders dabbled in both calls and puts to take bullish positions on UAL Corp. Investors sold 2,300 puts at the February $13 strike, taking in an average premium of $0.16 per contract. Put sellers retain the full premium as long as UAUA’s share price remains above $13.00 through expiration. One the call side, traders picked up roughly 2,000 contracts at the now in-the-money February $15…
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VIX Draws Large Bearish Put Play
by Option Review - February 2nd, 2010 5:28 pm
Today’s tickers: VIX, MS, BAC, UNG, SU, RL, GIGM, FCX, CVS, SPF & DOW
VIX – CBOE Volatility Index – A massive bearish put position initiated on the VIX today is a bullish sign for the S&P 500 index. The VIX fell more than 6% during the current session to stand at 21.21 as the past two day’s uptick in equities serve to dissipate some of the fear and uncertainty felt by investors during the prior trading week. One investor anticipating further downside movement for the VIX picked up roughly 103,000 puts at the March 20 strike for an average premium of $0.70 per contract. The put options position the investor to accrue profits beneath a VIX reading of 19.30 through expiration. It appears the investor expects the so-called fear-gauge to head in the direction of the index’s 52-week low of approximately 17.49 attained on January 19, 2010. But, the VIX must fall another 9% from the current reading in order for the investor to breakeven by expiration. Furthermore, today’s reading is still 21.25% greater than the 52-week low described previously.
MS – Morgan Stanley – Global financial services firm, Morgan Stanley, attracted the attention of bullish options investors in afternoon trading. Shares are currently trading 1.00% higher at $27.83 with roughly one hour remaining in the trading day. A bull call spread stuck out like a sore thumb in the scantily populated March contract on the stock today. One investor purchased 5,000 calls at the March $28 strike for a premium of $1.35 each, and sold the same number of calls at the higher March $31 strike for an average premium of $0.34 apiece. The trader paid a net premium of $1.01 per contract for the spread, but stands to accrue maximum potential profits of $1.99 per contract should Morgan Stanley’s shares rally up to $31.00 ahead of expiration day. The call-spreader breaks even on the transaction as long as MS’s shares rise 4.25% from the current price to $29.01 before the options expire.
BAC – Bank of America Corp. – Optimistic sentiment on Bank of America appeared in the August contract today amidst a 0.65% improvement in shares of the underlying stock to $15.52. One bullish trader initiated a call spread to position for upward movement in BAC’s shares by expiration. The investor purchased 4,000 calls at the August $16 strike for an average premium of $1.52 apiece,…
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Option Trader Prescribes Bullish Risk Reversal on CVS
by Option Review - November 19th, 2009 5:43 pm
Today’s tickers: CVS, LIZ, ITMN, MA, V, RF, KG, HW, WSM, AEP & NTAP
CVS – CVS Caremark Corp. – Shares of the pharmacy retail chain are up 1.5% to $31.11 perhaps due, in part, to the ‘buy’ rating it received at UBS today. Optimistic options activity took place in the December contract as one investor initiated a bullish risk reversal. It appears the trader sold 4,400 puts at the December 31 strike for an average premium of 94 cents apiece in order to finance the purchase of the same number of calls at the higher December 32 strike for 63 cents each. The investor pockets a 31 cent credit on the trade, which he retains in full as long as shares remain above $31.00 through expiration. Additional profits accumulate if CVS’s shares rally above $32.00.
LIZ – Liz Claiborne, Inc. – A 15,000-lot covered call in the January 2011 contract on Liz Claiborne today suggests shares are likely to recover, albeit at a glacial pace. Shares of the apparel and accessories retailer suffered a 5% decline to $4.55 during the trading session. One investor effectively purchased shares of the underlying stock for $3.30 apiece by selling 15,000 calls at the January 2011 5.0 strike for a premium of 1.25 each. Thus, the trader stands ready to accrue gains of 51% if shares of LIZ appreciate to $5.00 by expiration. The long-term positioning of the covered call play provides several advantages to the investor. One advantage is that the call options do not expire for another 13 months, which leaves ample time for LIZ’s shares to appreciate up to the strike price of $5.00. The 15,000-lot call transaction represents nearly 50% of the total existing open interest on LIZ of 31,502 contracts. Note that shares last traded above $5.00 yesterday at approximately 10:35 am (EDT).
ITMN – InterMune, Inc. – A bull call spread on the biotechnology company today suggests shares could rally significantly by expiration in April 2010. Bullish options activity on the stock belies the more than 3% decline in ITMN’s shares during the session to $10.94. The call spread involved the purchase of 3,750 calls at the April 15 strike for an average premium of 2.25 each, marked against the sale of the same number of calls at the higher April 25 strike for 75 cents apiece. The net cost of the transaction amounts to 1.50 per…
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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
coordinator for PSW. She manages the site