Put Sellers and Call Buyers Prepare for Dell Bid for Brocade
by Option Review - June 2nd, 2011 5:00 pm
Today’s tickers: BRCD, IP, APOL & DHI
BRCD - Brocade Communications Systems Inc. – Options volume is heavy in switcher-maker Brocade after a broker note predicted that it fits the bill for a bid from Dell. Shares in Brocade reached a 52-week high after the analyst noted that cash-rich Dell filed a debt-shelf earlier in the week of $3.4 billion or just about enough to buy Brocade if it wanted to change course and enter the networking market. One investor appeared to sell 11,400 put options expiring July at the $6.00 strike presumably on the assumption that its shares remain a hotbed of speculation for the next several weeks. The analyst’s note put a price tag on the stock of $10.00 underpinning a surge in the stock, which rose to $7.20 at the day’s best. Call options expiring next month were also well bid with the $8.00 strike proving most popular. Around 25,000 options granting the right to buy were exchanged with a current price of just 20 cents indicating a one-in-four chance of success over the next five weeks.
IP - International Paper – Notable activity in options on the paper-maker indicate one investor giving up on a good idea. Options volume of 20,935 on Thursday was made up of just two trades involving 10,000 lots each in what appears to be the closure of a losing calendar spread. On May 19 when shares in International Paper were trading one dollar higher than today at $31.67 an investor bought the same amount of call options expiring in July to buy calls expiring in January. The trade involved the $32 strike price in July and the $36 strike in January with the investor hoping for a steady climb in IP’s shares in the meantime. At the time the trade cost the…
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Homebuilder-Bull Constructs Colossal Call Position in XHB LEAPs
by Option Review - September 21st, 2010 4:04 pm
Today’s tickers: XHB, DHI, NVDA, RL, BSX, GCI, XRT & AMR
XHB – SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF – Long-term bullish trading in call options on the homebuilders sector jumped today on news housing starts in the U.S. rebounded in August. Shares of the XHB, an exchange-traded fund designed to track the performance of the S&P Homebuilders Select Industry Index, increased as much as 1.6% this afternoon to touch an intraday high of $15.83 as of 2:40 pm ET. One bullish trader expecting the price of the underlying fund to appreciate substantially over the next 16 months scooped up approximately 50,000 calls at the January 2012 $16 strike for an average premium of $2.56 apiece. The call options position the investor to accrue profits should shares surge 17.25% over today’s high of $15.83 to surpass the effective breakeven price of $18.56 by expiration day. Shares last traded above $18.56 back on May 13, 2010.
DHI – D.R. Horton, Inc. – In contrast to the outright bullish trading observed in XHB LEAPs, homebuilding company, D.R. Horton, received nearer-term bearish bets that shares are set to decline ahead of expiration in January 2011. DHI’s shares rallied as much as 2.6% on the positive new housing starts data to secure an intraday high of $11.34 this morning. But, by midday, a put option feeding frenzy initiated by traders who appear to expect shares to reverse course had already gained momentum. It looks like traders bought roughly 30,000 puts at the January 2011 $10 strike at an average premium of $0.73 a-pop. Put buyers are poised to profit should shares of the underlying stock plummet 18.25% from today’s high of $11.34 to slip beneath the average breakeven point to the downside at $9.27 by January 2011 expiration.
NVDA – NVIDIA Corp. – Shares of the manufacturer of chips used in computer graphics cards jumped 7.1% this afternoon to reach an intraday high of $11.47 as of 2:50 pm ET after analysts with Pacific Crest Securities said NVDA’s shares are likely to rally up to $13.00 as inventory declines and demand stabilizes. Investors hoping to see the bullish momentum continue purchased some 6,150 calls at the October $12 strike for an average premium of $0.32 per contract. Call buyers make money if the price of the underlying stock increases another 8.65% over today’s high of $11.34 to trade above the average breakeven point on the calls…
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Delta-Neutral Trade Suggests Guarded Optimism on Ventas Ahead of Q2 Earnings
by Option Review - July 26th, 2010 4:31 pm
Today’s tickers: VTR, BIDU, WAT, DHI, LCC, ODP, GAP & ISLN
VTR – Ventas, Inc. – Shares of the REIT with a portfolio of seniors housing and healthcare properties in the U.S. and Canada rallied as much as 2.04% this afternoon to reach an intraday- and new 52-week high of $51.57. Ventas popped up on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner in the second half of the trading session after one cautiously optimistic investor bought a large amount of stock in combination with a delta neutral put spread in the August contract. The transaction shows guarded optimism by one investor ahead of the firm’s second-quarter earnings report scheduled for release ahead of the opening bell on Wednesday morning. The options strategist paid a premium of $1.05 per contract for an 8,500-lot August $40/$50 debit put spread with a .32 delta tied to the purchase of 272,000 Ventas shares at $51.37 each. The investor is hoping to see shares rally to new highs following earnings, but has shelled out extra premium in order to get long downside protection in case Ventas’ shares decline.
BIDU – Baidu, Inc. – The Chinese-language internet search provider’s shares jumped 3.6% to an intraday high of $80.87 today after the firm received an upgrade to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’ with an increased target share price estimate of $92.00 from $69.00 at UBS. Shares were also lifted higher on news Baidu is in talks with mobile phone makers to discuss use of the firm’s search box on devices sold in China. The price of the underlying stock is currently up 2.05% on the day to arrive at $79.67 as of 3:00 pm (ET). Options players itching for continued appreciation in the price of the underlying shares through the end of this month purchased weekly call options on the stock that are set to expire on July 30. Investors picked up 1,000 calls at the July $80 strike for an average premium of $1.48 each. Call buyers at this strike make money if Baidu’s shares rally another 2.3% to trade above the average breakeven price of $81.48 by expiration day. Optimistic individuals looking for BIDU’s shares to hit a new 52-week high before the week is through purchased some 2,100 call options at the higher July $85 strike for an average premium of $0.29 a-pop. Shares must increase at least 7.05% in order for July $85 strike call…
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Options Trader Plants Bearish Augury on Oracle
by Option Review - February 3rd, 2010 4:20 pm
Today’s tickers: ORCL, SKX, EEM, TM, ZION, DHI, BBBY, RL, MCD & MYGN
ORCL – Oracle Corp. – A massive bearish transaction on software manufacturer, Oracle Corp., paints a gloomy picture for Oracle investors through expiration in June. Shares are trading 0.15% lower on the day to $23.73 with just under two hours remaining in the trading session. The pessimistic portent is a bearish risk reversal transacted in the June contract on the stock. The trader responsible for the reversal sold 34,700 calls at the June $24 strike for an average premium of $1.37 each in order to offset the cost of purchasing 34,700 put options at the lower June $23 strike for $1.24 premium apiece. A net credit of $0.13 per contract pads the investor’s wallet as long as the June $24 strike call options remain out-of-the-money through expiration day. Additional profits, or downside protection on a long stock position, kick in if shares of the underlying trade under $23.00 ahead of June expiration.
SKX – Sketchers USA, Inc. – Street and fashion footwear design firm, Sketchers USA, received a vote of confidence by a bullish options player today despite the 4.25% decline in shares of the underlying stock to $28.54. The investor etched optimism into the July contract on Sketchers by utilizing the ratio call spread strategy. The trader purchased 1,500 calls at the July $30 strike for a premium of $3.00 apiece, spread against the sale of 3,000 calls at the higher July $40 strike for an average premium of $0.60 each. The net cost of the transaction amounts to $1.80 per contract. In the next six months to expiration, SKX-shares must rally 11.40% from their current value in order for the investor to breakeven at a share price of $31.80. Maximum potential profits of $8.20 per contract accumulate should shares explode 40% higher to $40.00 ahead of expiration in July.
EEM – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – An enormous bullish bet on the EEM today implies one investor is positioning for a 5%-11.25% rebound in global markets by March expiration. Shares of the emerging markets exchange-traded fund, which was developed by MSCI as an equity benchmark for international stock performance, dipped slightly lower by 0.20% during the current session to $39.55. Optimism on the fund came in the form of a large-volume call spread in the March contract. The trader responsible for the transaction…
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New Bank of America CEO Gets Thumbs Up From Investors
by Option Review - January 4th, 2010 4:14 pm
Today’s tickers: BAC, HES, SII & DHI
BAC – Bank of America – A New Year and a fresh start in the corner office for incumbent CEO Brian Moynihan at Bank of America. Comments from his maiden voyage speech at a conference today noted that banks had over lent and consumers had taken on too much debt. It’s time to get back to work and as a responsible lender Mr. Moynihan wants to take the lead and do the right thing. His point that the worst of the crisis is now behind us in the context of credit seems to have been taken to heart by investors surrounding BAC’s shares today lifting it 3.9% to $15.65. Option investors appear to have taken profits on January call options at the $14 and $15 strikes instead favoring the $16/$19 strikes to play a bullish call spread combination. Volume patterns suggest the sale of around 33,000 call options for three cents at the upper strike while the $16 calls appear to have been purchased for around 18 cents thus lowering the breakeven at this point to a further rally of 3.1%. Investors also appeared to sell 22,000 puts expiring this month at the $15 strike – a sustained rally would render these worthless at expiration. Puts expiring February at the same $15 strike were also ditched at a premium of 73 cents, while option implied volatility remained unchanged at 37%.
HES – Hess Corp. – A New Year jump in commodity prices was largely inspired by a sustained bout of cold weather sending crude oil prices on the rise above $80. Shares in oil companies rose with those at Hess up 4% at $62.92, while one long-term option bull appeared to purchase 6,750 bullish call options using the January 2011 expiration. The $75 strike price traded at an average price of $4.60 per contract implying a break even share price at expiration of $79.60, requiring an annual rise for shares at Hess of 26.5% from its current level.
SII – Smith International Inc. – Oil services provider, Smith international is also higher by 2.8% today at $27.92 while our scanners picked up unusual options volume. We’re missing one data point to completely and accurately identify this trading strategy, but we think we get the gist. The option combination involved the purchase of puts expiring in April at the $23 strike where an investor…
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Option Traders Try Their Luck with Out-of-the-Money Calls on MGM Mirage
by Option Review - December 23rd, 2009 4:13 pm
Today’s tickers: MGM, EWC, EWZ, DHI, XLF, GLW, TRA, CF, PHM, GFI & EBAY
MGM – MGM Mirage, Inc. – Shares of casino resort operator, MGM Mirage, rallied 5.25% this afternoon to $9.62. Option traders expecting shares to rally significantly in the next 12 months bought call options in the January 2011 contract. Approximately 20,000 calls were purchased at the January 2011 20 strike for an average premium of 70 cents per contract. Investors break even on the calls if MGM’s shares more than double by expiration. Shares must rally at least 115% to the breakeven price of $20.70 in order for call-buyers to begin to accumulate profits.
EWC – iShares MSCI Canada Index ETF – The exchange-traded fund, which mirrors the performance of publicly traded securities in the Canadian market, attracted pessimistic option players. The bearish risk reversal established on the fund contrasts with the nearly 1.5% rally in shares of the underlying to $26.30 during the session. It appears one investor sold 12,500 calls at the June 27 strike for a premium of 1.60 each, spread against the purchase of the same number of calls at the lower June 26 strike for two dollars premium apiece. The net cost of the reversal amounts to 40 cents per contract. Profits on the trade – assuming the investor holds no underlying stock position – accrue if shares of the EWC slip beneath the breakeven point to the downside at $25.60 by expiration in June 2010.
EWZ – iShares MSCI Brazil Index ETF – A number of bullish trades on the Brazil exchange-traded fund today suggest shares of the EWZ are set to rally in the first few months of the new year. Shares edged 1.5% higher during the trading day to stand at $73.21. Optimistic traders employed a number of different option strategies in order to position for bullish movement in the price of the underlying stock. One trader initiated a risk reversal in the January contract by selling 6,000 puts at the January 72 strike for 1.80 each, spread against the purchase of 6,000 in-the-money calls at the same strike for 2.70 apiece. The cost of getting long the call options is reduced to 90 cents per contract for the reversal player. Profits on the position amass above the breakeven price of $72.90. Another option bull unfurled the wings of a butterfly spread in the March contract. The trader…
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D.R. Horton Rally Attracts Option Bulls
by Option Review - August 7th, 2009 4:05 pm
Today’s tickers: DHI, MBI, CROX, CSC
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Call Buyers Emerge
by Option Review - May 30th, 2009 6:54 am
Today’s tickers: EEM, DRYS, SLV, GLD, DHI, BRCM, STSI & LFC
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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.