Bullish Options Play Constructed On Manulife Financial
by Option Review - January 20th, 2012 2:04 pm
Today’s tickers: MFC, MDVN & MOS
MFC - Manulife Financial Corp. – The single largest options trade on Canadian life insurer Manulife Financial Corp. suggests one strategist is positioning for the price of the underlying to potentially post double-digit gains in the first half of the year. Shares in MFC currently trade 1.6% higher on the day at $12.36. The stock rose around 6.0% this week, helped higher in part by speculation and rumors the financial services may be interested in acquiring ING’s Asian and European insurance and investment management businesses. ING last week announced it hired J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs to explore a sale of the units. Takeover chatter aside, Manulife’s shares have moved up sharply in 2012, rising nearly 20.0% in the three weeks elapsed since the year began. One options trader looking further gains in the stock through June expiration initiated a bull call spread today. It appears the investor purchased a 7,500-lot June $13/$16 call spread for a net premium outlay of $0.80 per contract. Profits are available on the spread if Manulife’s shares rally another 11.7% to surpass the average breakeven price of $13.80, while maximum potential profits of $2.20 per contract require a nearly 30.0% upward move in the stock to or above $16.00 by June expiration. MFC is scheduled to report fourth-quarter results ahead of the opening bell on February 9.
MDVN - Medivation, Inc. – The San Francisco, California-based biopharmaceutical company popped up on our market scanners this morning after a sizable position was initiated in February contract call and put options. Shares in Medivation are off slightly today, down 0.50% at $51.97 as of 12:10 p.m. ET, adding to declines realized earlier in the trading week. The stock has dipped 8.0% since…
Ctrip.com Call Options In Play As Shares Move Higher
by Option Review - January 13th, 2012 1:32 pm
Today’s tickers: CTRP, MBLX & MFC
CTRP - Ctrip.com International, Ltd. – The travel service provider’s shares, which failed to join in on the stock market rally at the end of 2011 and beginning of the New Year, continue to buck the trend today, rallying 2.5% to $24.40, on a mostly down day for equities. Options activity in the front month suggests at least one strategist expects CTRP’s shares to extend gains in the near term. Shares in the provider of information on hotel reservations, airline tickets and packaged tours for business and leisure travelers in China tanked during the prior 12-month period, with the stock down more than 50.0% off the 52-week high of $50.57 set back in April. An upgrade of CTRP to ‘positive’ from ‘neutral’ with a 12-month target share price of $37.00 at Susquehanna may have helped spur bullish action in the options today. Volume is heaviest at the Jan. $26 strike where more than 2,800 calls changed hands against open interest of 620 contracts. The majority of the calls were purchased for an average premium of $0.29 each, implying potential profits for buyers if Ctrip.com’s shares rally another 7.75% to exceed the average breakeven price of $26.29 at expiration next week. The front month calls expire ahead of the Company’s fourth-quarter earnings release scheduled for February 13.
MBLX - Metabolix Inc. – Shares in Metabolix more than halved Friday on news Archer Daniels Midland Co. ended a joint venture with the plant-derived chemical producer. The already badly-bruised stock is now down more than 55.0% on the day at a record low of $2.65 as of 12:00 PM in New York. Put options on Metabolix are changing hands more than eight times for each single call option in…