Astex Options Volume Spikes
by Option Review - September 4th, 2013 6:02 pm
ASTX – Astex Pharmaceuticals Inc. – Options volume on Astex Pharmaceuticals is soaring on Wednesday afternoon following a story in the Nikkei newspaper that said Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. has agreed to acquire Astex for JPY 90 billion. Shares in ASTX rallied as much as 40% this afternoon to a multi-year high of $9.39 and sent options volume on the name up above 23,000 contracts by 3:10 p.m. ET versus the stock’s average daily volume of around 3,600 contracts. Options volume is most heavily concentrated in the September expiry contracts. Buyers appear to be stepping in to buy both the Sep $8.0 strike call and put options, which have traded roughly 2,300 and 4,000 times each, respectively, as of the time of this writing. Substantial volume is also building in the $9.0 strike calls expiring in September and October, with volumes topping 3,400 and 2,400 contracts in each case. Shares in ASTX are currently off the highest levels of the day, up 24% at $8.29.
TPX – Tempur Sealy International Inc. – Trading traffic in options on mattress maker Tempur Sealy International suggests options players are looking for the price of the underlying to edge higher during the next couple of weeks. Shares in the name are up 4.6% right now to stand at $41.58, and earlier traded up to $42.57, the highest level since July 25th. The most traded contracts on TPX today are the Sep $43 strike calls, with more than 2,900 contracts exchanged versus open interest of 375 contracts. Time and sales data suggests most of the call options were purchased for an average premium of $0.97 each, though the bulk of the volume – close to 2,000 lots – were picked up by one market participant at a premium of $1.00 apiece. Sep $43 strike calls purchased at $1.00 per contract may be profitable at expiration if shares in Tempur Sealy rally 5.8% over the current price of $41.58 to top the breakeven point at $44.00.
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E*TRADE Put Options In Play As Shares Slide
by Option Review - August 7th, 2013 4:46 pm
Today’s tickers: ETFC, SUNE & OCR
ETFC - E*TRADE Financial Corp. – Shares in online broker, E*TRADE Financial Corp., fell nearly 6.0% on Wednesday after the firm said regulators may review its historical order handling practices. According to the company’s 10-Q, such an investigation, “could subject it to monetary penalties and cease-and-desist orders, which could also prompt claims by customers of E*TRADE Securities LLC.” The statement went on to note that, “these actions could materially and adversely affect the company’s broker-dealer businesses.” Shares in ETFC fell as much as 5.5% on the news to an intraday low of $14.30. The stock is still in negative territory, but off the lows of the session to trade at $14.56 just after midday in New York. Sizable prints in September expiry put options on E*TRADE suggest some strategists are bracing for the price of the underlying to potentially extend losses in the near term. Upwards of 6,200 of the Sep $14 puts have changed hands thus far in the session against open interest of 623 contracts. It looks like most of the $14 puts were purchased within 30 minutes of the opening bell for an average premium of $0.43 apiece. The puts may be profitable at expiration next month in the event that ETFC shares decline 6.8% from the current level to trade below the average breakeven point on the downside at $13.57.
SUNE - SunEdison, Inc. – Options on the maker of wafers for the semiconductor and solar industries are more active than usual today after the company posted a wider than expected second-quarter loss that sent shares in SunEdison down nearly 30% to $6.90 on Wednesday. The double-digit percentage move to the downside in SunEdison shares today appears to have attracted some contrarian strategists to SUNE options. Fresh interest building in front month…
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Butterfly Spread Calls For Further Gains In EEM
by Option Review - August 9th, 2012 2:36 pm
Today’s tickers: EEM, ETFC & S
EEM - iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – Shares in the EEM increased roughly 7% in the past two weeks and a large call butterfly spread initiated this morning suggests one options market participant is positioning for the price of the underlying to tack on another 7% in the next six weeks. The one-by-two-by-one limited risk strategy could pay off handsomely at September expiration if shares in the EEM rally to their highest since early-April. Shares in the ETF are currently up 0.50% on the day at $40.55 as of 1:25 p.m. in New York. The butterfly spread was constructed through the purchase of 40,000 calls at each of the Sept. $42 and $45 strikes, marked against the sale of 80,000 calls at the Sept. $43.5 strike, all for a net premium outlay of $0.22 apiece. The trade starts making money in the event EEM shares rally 4% to surpass the breakeven point at $42.22, with maximum possible profits of $1.28 per contract available given a 7.3% move higher in the share price to $43.50. The risk-reward ratio works in the trader’s favor; losses are limited to $0.22 per contract but maximum potential profits are nearly six times that amount should the ETF’s shares settle at the central strike price by expiration next month.
ETFC - E*Trade Financial Corp. – News that online broker, E*Trade Financial Corp., gave CEO Steven J. Freiberg the pink slip was well-received by investors today, with the shares trading up as much as 7.2% to an intraday high of $8.60 in the first half of the session. Options on ETFC are more active than usual Options volume on the e-broker, pushing 9,000 contracts just before midday in New York, is more than two times the average daily volume for the stock. Calls are far more active than put options with a call-to-put ratio hovering around 7-to-1. Fresh interest building in short-term upside calls…
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Three-legged Bull Eyes Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. Options
by Option Review - July 20th, 2011 4:08 pm
Today’s tickers: ADM, ETFC, VG & XLNX
ADM - Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. – A couple of weeks ago demand for call options on one of the world’s largest processors of corn, wheat, cocoa and other feedstuffs jumped after Warren Buffet said Archer-Daniels-Midland is the “kind of company we look at” in regards to the search for acquisition candidates. Today, ADM options appear to be popular with at least one strategist positioning for further upside movement in the price of the underlying shares through the end of 2011. Shares in the food products company increased as much as 1.4% this morning to $31.00 by 11:30 am in New York. The stock still trades at an 18.5% discount off its more than 3-year high of $38.02 attained in February. Bullish action in ADM options and the bump-up in shares follow a study released by Purdue University economists on Tuesday showing, among other things, that high food prices are expected to persist for the next one to two years. The U.S. government in February said U.S. farm income may reach $94.7 billion this year. Archer-Daniels-Midland is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings ahead of the opening bell on August 2. One options trader expecting shares to near multi-year highs by December expiration initiated a three-legged bullish transaction straight out of the gate this morning. It looks like the investor sold 1,000 puts at the December $28 strike for a premium of $1.16 each in order to finance the purchase of a 1,000-lot December $32/$36 call spread at a cost of $1.14 apiece. The sale of the put options more than offset the cost of the bull call spread, thereby yielding a net credit of $0.02 per contract to the investor. The trader adds to his gains in the event that shares in ADM rally another 3.2% over the current price of $31.00 to surpass the effective breakeven price of $32.00 at expiration. Maximum potential profits of $4.02 per contract, including the net credit received, are available to the investor should shares in the feedstuffs producer jump 16.1% to trade above $36.00 at expiration day in December. Shares in ADM last traded above $36.00 at the beginning of May.…
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Long-Term Bull Populates Mead Johnson Nutrition Post-Earnings
by Option Review - January 27th, 2011 4:52 pm
Today’s tickers: MJN, ETFC, GNK & CAT
MJN - Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. – The global provider of pediatric nutrition popped up on our scanners after long-dated call and put options changed hands in the January 2012 contract. Shares in Mead Johnson are down slightly by 0.40% as of 12:30pm to stand at $59.78. The Glenview, IL-based firm reported fourth-quarter earnings of $0.57 a share before the market opened, beating the average forecast by one penny, but revenues for the quarter came in at $803.7 million, which missed estimates of $808.0 million. It looks like one investor is positioning for Mead Johnson’s shares to increase substantially ahead of January 2012 expiration. The investor appears to have sold 1,900 puts at the January 2012 $50 strike at a premium of $2.68 each, in order to buy the same number of call options at the higher January 2012 $65 strike for a premium of $3.58 apiece. The net cost of the bullish risk reversal amounts to $0.90 per contract. Thus, the investor stands ready to make money should shares in MJN rally 10.2% over the current price of $59.78 to exceed the effective breakeven price of $65.90 by expiration day in one year’s time. Options implied volatility on the stock is down 16.4% at 26.00% in early afternoon trade.
ETFC - E*Trade Financial Corp. – Shares in the provider of online brokerage and other financial services rallied as much as 6.7% this morning to secure an intraday high of $16.85 despite a weaker-than-expected earnings report Wednesday evening. Analysts, on average, were expecting ETFC to earn $0.04 a share, but the fourth-largest U.S. retail brokerage said it lost $0.11 a share in the fourth quarter. The earnings miss has not stymied today’s rally in the price of the underlying shares, but traders are favoring…
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Bears at Work as AMAG Pharmaceuticals Shares Head Lower
by Option Review - September 24th, 2010 4:15 pm
Today’s tickers: AMAG, BID, ERIC, BAX, NVDA, VIT, BVF & ETFC
AMAG – AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – Safety concerns surrounding AMAG’s Feraheme, the biopharmaceutical firm’s intravenous iron-replacement therapy for patients with chronic kidney disease and its lead product, continue to drive shares to new lows. Shares are down 4.00% at $18.15 as of 3:20 pm ET, but earlier plunged 11.6% to touch down at an intraday- and 4-year low of $16.70. Today’s low of $16.70 put shares down 68.2% since January 12, 2010, when the stock was trading up at its 52-week high of $52.49. Erosion in the price of AMAG’s shares accelerated at the end of August when the FDA added Feraheme to a list of products touting serious risks and connected the drug to unspecified serious cardiac disorders. One options investor appears to be positioning for shares to continue to decline by enacting a ratio put spread in the October contract. The trader purchased approximately 2,500 puts at the October $18 strike for premium of $1.98 each, and sold roughly 5,000 puts at the lower October $16 strike at a premium of $0.84 apiece. Average net premium paid to establish the spread amounts to $0.30 per contract. Thus, the strategist stands ready to profit if AMAG’s shares slip beneath the effective breakeven price of $17.70 by expiration. Maximum potential profits of $1.70 per contract are available to the trader if AMAG shares fall 11.85% from the current price of $18.15 to settle at $16.00 at expiration. The ratio of twice as much sold puts as long puts held by the investor expose him to losses should shares collapse below the effective lower breakeven price of $14.30 by expiration day next month.
BID – Sotheby’s, Inc. – Shares of the auctioneer fine art, antiques and other collectibles rallied as much as 7.65% this afternoon to touch an intraday high of $35.86. One options investor bought call options back in August and was well positioned to book profits on today’s rally. It looks like the trader originally purchased some 1,000 calls at the October $35 strike at an average premium of $0.90 each back on August 11, 2010, when BID’s shares were trading at a volume-weighted average price of $29.41. Shares have since increased significantly, boosting premium on the October $35 strike calls. Thus, the bullish player was able to sell all 1,000 lots at that strike for a premium…
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Massive Ratio Call Spread Established on Citigroup, Inc.
by Option Review - May 26th, 2010 4:24 pm
Today’s tickers: C, NOK, XLF, ETFC, TXT, GE, JPM, JCG, AMR, PRU & CAKE
C – Citigroup, Inc. – A large-volume ratio call spread enacted on Citigroup during the first half of the trading session suggests one big player is positioning for continued share price appreciation through July expiration. Citigroup’s shares gained as much as 6.6% earlier in the session to reach an intraday high of $4.03, but are currently up a more modest 2.65% on the day at $3.88 as of 3:55 pm (ET). The bullish investor paid a net premium of $0.19 per contract to purchase roughly 66,000 calls at the July $4.0 strike, and sell about 132,000 calls at the higher July $5.0 strike price. The spread positions the trader to make money above the breakeven price of $4.19 through July expiration. Maximum potential profits of $0.81 per contract pad the investor’s wallet if Citi’s shares jump 28.9% over the current price of $3.88 to settle at $5.00 at expiration.
NOK – Nokia Corp. – Options traders populating Nokia Corp. today sold in- and out-of-the-money calls on the world’s largest maker of mobile phones with shares of the underlying stock trading 2.35% lower to $9.99 with 40 minutes remaining ahead of the closing bell. Finland-based Nokia retained its ranking as one of the two greenest major electronics makers at Greenpeace International along with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Call sellers roamed across several expiries on the mobile phone maker, spreading pessimistic sentiment along the way. Near-term bears doubting Nokia’s shares will rebound any time soon shed 6,700 calls at the June $10 strike to take in an average premium of $0.50 per contract. Approximately 8,300 calls were sold at the July $10 strike price for an average premium of $0.70 apiece. Investors selling the contracts keep the premium received as long as Nokia’s shares trade below $10.00 through expiration in June/July. Uber-pessimistic traders shed 3,700 in-the-money call options at the October $9.0 strike to take in an average premium of $1.67 per contract. Nokia’s shares must fall another 9.90% from the current price of $9.99 to breach the $9.00-level. In-the-money call sellers keep the premium if Nokia’s share price does not exceed $9.00 at expiration. Finally, bearish investors sold 5,600 calls at the October $10 strike for an average premium of $1.10 each, 4,800 calls at the October $11 strike for an average premium of $0.64 a-pop,…
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Emerging Markets Bear With Butterfly Wings Dominates EEM Puts In Afternoon Trading
by Option Review - May 24th, 2010 4:32 pm
Today’s tickers: EEM, ETFC, CVA, CSCO, CMCSK, XLI, CATM, AXL & ASML
EEM – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – An enormous bearish put butterfly spread comprised of 240,000 put options cast a gloomy shadow over the emerging markets fund late in afternoon trading. Shares of the EEM, an exchange-traded fund designed to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index – an index created to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets, are down 0.35% at $37.21 as of 3:30 pm (ET). The massive bearish transaction on the fund suggests one big player is bracing for a potential 19% pullback in the price of the underlying shares by June expiration. The butterfly spread spans the June $25/$30/$35 strikes, with 60,000 puts picked up at the June $25 strike for a premium of $0.11 each [wing 1] and another 60,000 puts purchased at the higher June $35 strike for a premium of $0.88 apiece [wing 2]. The body of the butterfly involved the sale of 120,000 puts at the central June $30 strike for a premium of $0.27 a-pop. The net cost of the spread amounts to $0.45 per contract. The EEM’s shares must slip beneath the upper breakeven price of $34.55 before the investor starts to make money ahead of June expiration. Maximum available profits of $4.55 per contract pad the investor’s wallet if shares of the underlying fund fall 19.35% from the current price to settle at $30.00 at expiration. Shares of the EEM last traded below $34.55 back on August 19, 2009, and touched a 52-week low of $30.12 back on June 23, 2009. The investor responsible for the giant transaction only ever risks losing $0.45 per contract, but stands ready to amass more than 10 times that amount – $4.55 per contract – if shares nose-dive down to $30.00 ahead of expiration day next month.
ETFC – E*Trade Financial Corp. – A massive three-legged options combination play initiated on financial services firm, E*Trade Financial Corp., suggests one investor sees shares of the provider of online brokerage services trading within a narrow range through expiration in January 2011. ETFC shares are up 2.05% at $1.49 as of 2:30 pm (ET). The big options player initiated a sold strangle, selling 30,000 calls at the January 2011 $2.0 strike for $0.21 apiece and shedding 30,000 puts at…
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Weekly Wrap Up – Cash Out Edition
by phil - March 21st, 2010 5:20 pm
How did I reach my breaking point on Friday?
Well, I haven’t been happy about the action for the whole month of March and this week was simply the last straw, where I feel the risk of being long now outweighs the likely rewards. Even all the bullish analysts in 12 of 13 of our beloved IBanks are "only" projecting the S&P to gain another 7.5% for the year. That’s not even 1% a month so excuse me if I decide it’s time to take a 7th inning stretch after we’re already up 70% of 77.5% projected over 2 years. As I said when reviewing our Buy List, where we are closing out 22 of 37 stocks – you just aren’t supposed to make an average of 28% with 64 winners on 66 picks in 6 weeks – it gets to a point where it’s just foolish not to cash out and take a rest.
Make sure you check out our latest round of Disaster Hedges as well, "5 Plays that Make 500% if the Market Falls" is a good way to keep your toes in the water! In last Weekend’s Wrap-Up I was "Still Trying to Get Bullish" and I was wrestling with killing the Buy List then - doing the full review this week is what killed it for me because - if I go over the fundamentals of 37 of my favorite stocks and can’t see more than 15 plays I’m enthusiastic about keeping – then it’s a good bet I’m not going to be too wild about the rest of the market either.
If I were a real bear, this would be great and I’d just be running around yelling SELLSELLSELL but I am, believe it or not, a generally bullish guy who prefers to play an up market but I am also realistic enough not to fall so in love with my positions or bullish premise that I don’t know when it’s time to give things a rest. We haven’t had a proper pullback, we haven’t had good volume to the upside (Barron’s raised that concern this weekend) and we haven’t addressed many, many problems that are still out there.
Monday Morning – Moody’s Makes More Negative Noises
Moody’s got us off to a fun start on Monday morning, saying the US and UK are "substantially" closer to losing their AAA credit ratings as the cost of servicing their debt rose – a statement…
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UnitedHealth Bulls Have a Fever – the Only Prescription is More Call Options
by Option Review - March 16th, 2010 4:20 pm
Today’s tickers: UNH, BZH, WFC, GE, XLB, WMT, BAC, COF, HOG, ETFC & STJ
UNH – UnitedHealth Group, Inc. – Health and well-being company, UnitedHealth Group, commenced the trading session in the red after Goldman Sachs Group removed the firm from its ‘Conviction Buy List’. However, UNH is still rated as a ‘buy’ at Goldman, and the company’s shares recovered this afternoon to stand 0.60% higher at $32.73. A fire-storm of bullish activity descended on UnitedHealth during the middle of the trading day. Investors gobbled up April contract call options perhaps to position for continued bullish movement in the price of the underlying shares. Options players purchased 42,600 call options at the April $34 strike for an average premium of $0.87 per contract. More than 50,000 calls changed hands at that strike, which blows the 4,333 contracts of open interest at that strike right out of the water. Investors long the calls are positioned to amass profits should UNH’s shares rally another 6.5% to breach the breakeven price of $34.87 by April expiration. Wild-and-crazy options activity on the stock lifted the overall reading of options implied volatility 5% to 43.06% as of 2:05 pm (ET).
BZH – Beazer Homes USA, Inc. – Single- and multi-family homebuilding company, Beazer Homes USA, attracted bullish options players today amid a 4.65% rally in its share price to $4.95. Beazer was upgraded to a ‘buy’ rating and a target share price of $6.25 at Citigroup yesterday. Plain-vanilla call buying took place at the near-term March $5.0 strike where investor picked up 2,100 contracts for an average premium of $0.14 apiece. Investors long these contracts are hoping Beazer’s shares rally another 4.25% from the current price to surpass the effective breakeven point at $5.14 ahead of expiration on Friday. Optimism spread to the April $5.0 strike as traders coveted 2,200 calls for an average premium of $0.32 per contract. Call-buyers in the April contract profit if shares jump 8% and trade above the breakeven price of $5.32 by expiration day next month. The surge in investor demand for options on Beazer Homes lifted the overall reading of options implied volatility on the stock 15.8% to 61.92% this afternoon.
WFC – Wells Fargo & Co. – The bank holding company’s shares increased more than 0.65% during the session to $30.09, inspiring bullish options activity on the stock. Investors positioning for a continued rally in the price…
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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