Options Remain Cautious On ORCL, LLY As Shares Rise
by Option Review - June 15th, 2012 3:01 pm
Options brief will resume June 25, 2012.
Today’s tickers: ORCL, LLY & NIHD
ORCL - Oracle Corp. – Shares in software giant, Oracle Corp., are up 2.3% this afternoon at $27.53 amid a broad-based rally in equities and after the stock was raised to ‘Buy’ from ‘Hold’ with a 12-month share price target of $33.00 at ThinkEquity LLC. Stocks are trading higher on speculation global central banks may take coordinated action to counter possible market shocks in the wake of Greek elections this weekend. The software maker’s shares may be on the rise today, but a sizable put spread initiated in the September expiry this morning suggests one strategist is keeping an eye on potential bearish movement in the price of the underlying. It looks like the trader snapped up 4,230 puts at the Sept. $26 strike and sold the same number of puts at the lower Sept. $23 strike, all for a net premium outlay of $0.72 per contract. The trader makes money on the spread if shares in ORCL slip 8.2% to breach the breakeven price of $25.28, while maximum potential profits of $2.28 per contract are available in the event shares plunge 16.5% to settle below $23.00 at September expiration. Oracle is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings after the final bell next Thursday.
LLY - Eli Lilly and Co. – The drug maker’s shares rallied to their highest level since October 2008 today, trading up as much as 0.90% to $42.17. Trading traffic in Eli Lilly options is fairly evenly distributed between calls and puts, however, the single largest transaction in the contracts today appears to be a protective or potentially an outright bearish stance on the near-term performance of the stock. Volume at any one strike today is heaviest in the July $40 put where more…
Bearish Player Binges On Perfect World Co. Put Options
by Option Review - November 21st, 2011 2:00 pm
Today’s tickers: PWRD, NIHD & COCO
PWRD - Perfect World Co., Ltd. – The online game developer popped up on our scanners this morning following a burst of bearish activity in March 2012 contract call and put options. It looks like much of the trading was initiated by one investor positioning for the price of the underlying to pull back further in the next four months to expiration. Shares in Perfect World Co. fell 6.8% to $11.59 by 12:25 PM in New York trade. The company is slated to report third-quarter earnings after the final bell this evening. It appears the options player purchased around 300 puts at the Mar. 2012 $11 strike, the nearest to-the-money strike put available, for an average premium of $1.92 apiece. Similar bearish activity was seen at the Mar. 2012 $10, $9.0, $8.0 and $7.0 strike prices. The investor purchased at least 290 and as many as 430 puts at each of the lower strikes for premiums ranging from $1.35 down at $0.52 a-pop. The investor starts making money on the Mar. 2012 $11 strike put position in the event that shares in Perfect World decline another 21.7% to breach the effective breakeven point on the downside at $9.08 by expiration day next year. Meanwhile, light call selling at the Mar. 2012 $12, $13, $14 and $15 strikes suggests the investor doubts shares in the name will rally above the current price level by expiration next year.
NIHD - NII Holdings, Inc. – Wireless communications company, NII Holdings, attracted heavier-than-usual activity in its options this morning. It appears one investor is taking a bearish stance on the stock, prepping for near double-digit declines in the price of the underlying by December expiration. Shares in NII Holdings, Inc. are down 4.05% to stand at $22.46 in early-afternoon trade. More than 3,000 put options changed hands at the Dec. $21 strike earlier in the session, against previously existing open interest of just 175 contracts. It looks like the investor purchased the majority of the puts for an average premium of $0.65 each. The trader may profit on the position at expiration next month in the event that NIHD’s shares drop 9.4% from the current price of $22.46 to breach the effective breakeven point on the downside at $20.35. Shares in NII Holdings last traded below $20.35 back in July 2009.
COCO - Corinthian Colleges, Inc. – Shares in the for-profit provider of post-secondary…