Heavy Volume In BlackBerry Options
by Option Review - September 23rd, 2013 4:30 pm
BBRY – Blackberry Ltd. – Shares in BlackBerry, which were halted just before 1:30 p.m. ET with news pending, resumed trading at 2:00 p.m. ET, immediately rallying 5% to $9.15 to reverse earlier declines on reports the company has signed a letter of intent agreement with a group led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited to take the company private in a deal valued at $4.7 billion. Investors in BBRY would receive $9.00 a share in cash under the terms of the deal.
When the stock was halted, shares in the name were off 5.7% on the session at $8.23, and options volume was above 200,000 contracts, more than twice the stock’s average daily volume of around 90,000 contracts. Trading in puts on BBRY had been outpacing that of calls prior to the trading halt, with the put/call ratio at 1.6 prior to the resumption of trading.
At last check, shares in BBRY are off their highs, up 1.15% at $8.82. Options volume jumped to 335,000 contracts within 25 minutes of the resumption of trading.
P – Pandora Media, Inc. – Shares in Internet radio provider Pandora Media, Inc. are trading sharply lower today after Apple said more than 11 million unique listeners have used its iTunes Radio feature since its release. Pandora’s shares are currently down 11% at $24.00 as of 11:35 a.m. ET. Despite the rough start to the trading week, Pandora’s shares are still up approximately 130% since this time last year.
Trading in weekly call and put options on Pandora this morning suggests some traders are positioning for shares in the name to rebound, while others brace for further declines. More than 1,800 of the Sep 27 ’13 $24 strike puts changed hands by midday in New York versus open interest of 945 contracts, with much of the volume purchased at an average premium of $0.40 each. Buyers of the at-the-money puts may profit at expiration if shares in Pandora decline another 1.7% to trade below the average breakeven point at $23.60. In contrast, traders buying around 1,000 of the Sep 27 ’13 $25 strike call options for an average premium of $0.96 apiece today stand ready to profit at expiration given a more than 8.0% rebound in the price of the underlying to exceed $25.96.
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Short-Dated Bullish Strategies On YHOO Working For Some Traders As Shares Extend Rally
by Option Review - September 12th, 2013 9:53 pm
YHOO – Yahoo! Inc. – Buyers of weekly call options on Yahoo yesterday are seeing substantial overnight paper profits on those positions today, with shares in YHOO climbing 3.7% on Thursday morning to $30.27, the highest level in more than five years. The stock is up on comments from CEO Marissa Mayer at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco on Wednesday.
The largest overnight increase in weekly call open interest on YHOO was in the Sep 13 ’13 $29 strike calls after traders yesterday purchased around 1,000 contracts for an average premium of $0.42 each. Traders long the calls at $0.42 apiece are now holding contracts worth twice as much, with the last traded price on the $29 calls at $0.98 as of the time of this writing.
Overall options volume on Yahoo is roughly 130% of the stock’s average daily volume of around 44,000 contracts at present, with the call/put ratio hovering near 4.4.
WEN – Wendy’s Company – Traders feasted on Wendy’s front month calls this morning, with shares in the quick service restaurant operator rising 5.5% to a new 52-week high of $8.71 during the first half of the session. The stock was upgraded to ‘Buy’ from ‘Hold’ at Argus today.
Options players appear to have purchased around 2,600 of the Sep $8.0 strike calls, most at a premium of $0.60 per contract. In-the-money call buyers may profit at expiration if shares in the maker of the Frosty and pretzel bacon cheeseburgers top the breakeven price of $8.60.…
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Options Traders Tune In To Pandora Calls As Analyst Upgrade Lifts Shares
by Option Review - June 26th, 2013 9:02 pm
Today’s tickers: P, APOL & RPTP
P - Pandora Media, Inc. – Shares in Pandora are spiking today, up as much as 8.3% in the early going to a one-month high of $17.78, after the stock was raised to ‘Outperform’ from ‘Market Perform’ at Cowen with a 12-month target price of $22.00. Options traders snapped up July expiry calls straight out of the gate this morning, initiating bullish positions that benefit from continued gains in the price of the underlying during the next few weeks. The Jul $17 strike options attracted the most volume in early trading, with roughly 3,600 calls in play versus open interest of 2,722 contracts as of 11:00 a.m. ET. Most of the calls appear to have been purchased by one strategist for a premium of $1.25 per contract. The call buyer makes money at expiration next month as long as Pandora’s shares rise 2.6% over today’s high of $17.78 to exceed the effective breakeven price of $18.25. Pandora bulls are also buying Jul $18 and $19 strike calls this morning, with roughly 900 of the $18 strike contracts purchased at an average premium of $0.72, and roughly 500 of the $19 strike calls picked up at an average premium of $0.37 apiece. Shares in Pandora are up 95% since the start of 2013.
APOL - Apollo Group, Inc. – Declines in new enrollments and slumping third-quarter profits reported by the University of Phoenix operator after the close on Tuesday sent shares in the name down substantially on Wednesday. The stock, which will relinquish its spot in the S&P 500 Index and make its way into the S&P Midcap 400 later in the week, fell as much as 8.9% to $17.66 in early trading. Contrarian traders positioning for shares in Apollo to snap back in the near term appear to be buying July expiry calls today. The Jul $19 and $20 strike calls were active in the early going this morning, with roughly 950 of the $19 calls purchased for an average premium of $0.71…
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Traders Take To Tiffany & Co. Options After Earnings, Guidance Disappoint
by Option Review - May 24th, 2012 3:44 pm
Today’s tickers: TIF, P & NYT
TIF - Tiffany & Co., Inc. – A surprise earnings miss and a reduced full-year profit and sales forecast from luxury jewelry retailer, Tiffany & Co., took some of the luster out of its shares today, with the stock trading down 8.5% at $56.55 as of 11:50 a.m. in New York. Options activity on Tiffany this morning suggests mixed sentiment on the stock going forward, with some strategists bracing for further declines in the price of the underlying, while others position for a rebound. Fresh interest building in the July $57.5 strike put, where more than 800 in-the-money contracts changed hands against open interest of 114 positions, appears mostly to be the work of buyers. Traders paid an average premium of $3.74 apiece for the put options and may profit at expiration in the event that Tiffany’s shares decline another 4.9% to settle beneath the effective breakeven price of $53.76. Meanwhile, a call spread in the August expiry looks for shares in the jeweler to post solid gains during the next few months. A 242-lot Aug. $57.5/$65 call spread purchased for an average premium of $2.50 per contract may result in maximum potential profits of $5.00 per contract should TIF’s shares soar 14.9% to top $65.00 by August expiration.
P - Pandora Media, Inc. – Shares in Pandora are moving sharply to the upside this morning after the provider of Internet radio reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings after the close of trading on Wednesday and an increase in target share price to $16.00 from $14.00 at JMP Securities. The stock rallied as much as 19.0% to $12.285 today, reaching their highest level since March, but trading in the January 2013 expiry puts suggests some strategists are securing disaster insurance on the stock. It looks like traders picked up 200 puts at the Jan. 2013 $4.0 strike for a premium of $0.25 apiece, perhaps under the expectation there could be catastrophic…
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Pandora Call Options Pop As Shares Improve
by Option Review - April 19th, 2012 2:17 pm
Today’s tickers: P, CBS & XCO
P - Pandora Media, Inc. – Traders that appear to be speculating on a rebound in shares of the provider of Internet radio services turned-up the volume in Pandora Media call options today. Shares in Pandora, which have been beaten down in recent months, increased as much as 10.5% to $8.91 in the first half of the session before losing some steam to stand up 4.9% on the day at $8.45 as of 1:15 p.m. ET. The stock is down 15.0% year-to-date and more than 65.0% since touching a peak value of $26.00 at the June 2011 IPO. June expiry call options saw the most action today, with the $9.0 strike call changing hands more than 6,700 times versus open interest of just 354 contracts. Most of the $9.0 calls appear to have been purchased for an average premium of $0.76 apiece. Call buyers profit at expiration as long as shares in Pandora jump 15.0% to surpass the average breakeven point at $9.76 by June expiration. Traders positioning for shares to extend gains also snapped up around 1,000 in-the-money calls at the June $8.0 strike for a premium of $1.10 a-pop. Pandora Media, Inc. is slated to release first-quarter earnings after the market closes on May 24th.
CBS - CBS Corp. – A burst of call buying on CBS Corp. caught our eye today, with shares in the name trading up 1.2% at $33.31 in early-afternoon trade. The bulk of the options volume in the mass media company appears to be betting on continued near-term appreciation in the price of the underlying shares, perhaps ahead of the Company's first quarter earnings release after the final bell on May 1st. The most active contracts in play on CBS Corp. today are the May…
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Pandora Call Options In Play Ahead Of Earnings
by Option Review - March 5th, 2012 1:38 pm
Today’s tickers: P, AIG, EXPR & BHI
P - Pandora Media, Inc. – Shares in the provider of Internet music services are up 6.5% at $14.80 this afternoon on the heels of an upgrade to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ at Stifel Nicolaus and leading up to Pandora’s fourth-quarter earnings release ahead of the opening bell on Tuesday morning. Options on Pandora Media, Inc. are more active than usual today as investors take positions prior to the fourth-quarter performance report. Call options are far more popular than puts, with more than nine calls changing hands on Pandora for each single put in play. Volume is heaviest at the Mar. $16 strike, where more than 7,000 calls traded against open interest of just 917 contracts. Trading in the $16 calls is mixed, but it looks like slightly more of the contracts were purchased for an average premium of $0.44 each. Call buyers may profit at expiration in the event that Pandora’s shares surge 11.1% to surpass the average breakeven price of $16.44. Bullish positioning was also seen in the Mar. $17 strike calls as traders paid an average premium of $0.17 for around 400 of the contracts. Overall options volume on Pandora is fast approaching 20,000 contracts on the day just before 1:20 p.m. in New York trade.
AIG - American International Group, Inc. – The insurance giant’s shares are off their highest levels of the session, but remain positive, up 2.2% at $30.46 as of 11:45 a.m. in New York. Shares rallied as much as 5.0% to $31.30 this morning on news AIG is selling $6 billion in shares of AIA Group Ltd. to institutional investors. The bullish move in the price of the underlying shares is a boon for traders observed snapping up weekly call options at the tail-end…
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Pandora Options Active As Shares Extend Rally
by Option Review - January 18th, 2012 1:50 pm
Today’s tickers: P, NXPI & CQB
P - Pandora Media, Inc. – Shares in the Internet radio provider are on a tear this year, having rallied nearly 30.0% since the final trading session of 2011. The stock is up 8.1% at $13.06 today, although it’s worth noting the stock trades below its June IPO. Put activity on the music media company this morning suggests at least one strategist does not expect the music to stop in the near future. Investors exchanged more than 3,200 puts at the Feb. $10 strike against open interest 563 contracts, indicating the positions were opened. It looks like most of the put options were sold for an average premium of $0.25 each. Put sellers walk away with the full amount of premium at expiration next month as long as shares in Pandora Media, Inc. exceed $10.00. The strategy could saddle sellers of the options with shares of the underlying stock at February expiration in the event of a sharp pullback below the strike price. Premium received on the play provides limited protection against losses should shares tank, however, traders start to see losses on the downside should the stock drop 25.0% to trade below the effective breakeven price of $9.75 at expiration day. The put contracts expire ahead of the Company’s March 1 fourth-quarter earnings release.
NXPI - NXP Semiconductors NV – Call options on the semiconductor supplier are more active than usual this morning, with shares in the Eindhoven, The Netherlands-based Company soaring 14.7% to an intraday high of $19.72. Traders appear to be placing bullish bets on NXPI today, snapping up in- and out-of-the-money call options to position for shares to extend gains in the near term. Meanwhile, some call buyers that purchased calls ahead…
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Put Player Near-Term Bullish On Pandora Post Earnings
by Option Review - August 26th, 2011 2:26 pm
Today’s tickers: P, IYR, TIF & BAC
P - Pandora Media Inc. – Demand for options covering Pandora, the online music company that went public in June, jumped after the company reported better-than-expected earnings of $0.02 a share for the second quarter. Pandora’s first earnings report since become a publicly traded company sent shares up as much as 11.5% to an intraday high of $13.90 as its top- and bottom-line results topped expectations. Despite the spike in the price of the underlying today, shares continue to trade at a substantial discount to its initial public offering price of $16.00. The positive earnings report spurred bulls to the options market, with notable volume building in September contract puts. It looks like one trader expecting Pandora’s shares to resist above $12.00 through expiration next month sold roughly 3,000 put options outright at the September $12 strike at a premium of $0.70 per contract. The put seller walks away with the full amount of premium at expiration as long as shares in Pandora exceed $12.00 and the options expire worthless. The short stance in Pandora puts suggests the trader may wind up having around 300,000 shares put to him at an effective price of $11.30 each at September expiration if the stock slips beneath $12.00 in the next three weeks. Options implied volatility on Pandora Media Inc. stand 29.2% lower post earnings at 82.54% this afternoon.
IYR - iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Index Fund – A sizable put spread on the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index Fund yields maximum benefit to one bearish strategist if the price of the underlying drops substantially by the end of the year. Shares in the IYR, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index, turned positive in the aftermath of…
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Krugman: “The Question Is Whether Our Economy Is Governed By Any Kind Of Rule Of Law”
by ilene - October 17th, 2010 3:50 pm
Krugman: "The Question Is Whether Our Economy Is Governed By Any Kind Of Rule Of Law"
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Courtesy of Washington’s Blog
Paul Krugman writes:
The mortgage mess is making nonsense of claims that we have effective contract enforcement — in fact, the question is whether our economy is governed by any kind of rule of law.
***
True to form, the Obama administration’s response has been to oppose any action that might upset the banks, like a temporary moratorium on foreclosures while some of the issues are resolved. Instead, it is asking the banks, very nicely, to behave better and clean up their act. I mean, that’s worked so well in the past, right?
The response from the right is, however, even worse …. conservative commentators like those at The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page have come out dismissing the lack of proper documents as a triviality. In effect, they’re saying that if a bank says it owns your house, we should just take its word. To me, this evokes the days when noblemen felt free to take whatever they wanted, knowing that peasants had no standing in the courts. But then, I suspect that some people regard those as the good old days.
I’m happy that someone as prominent as Krugman is weighing in on the side of the rule of law.
I’ve been hammering on that topic for years:
- Fraud Finally Being Discussed in Polite Company … Now Where Are the Prosecutions?
- A Free Market Is Not Possible Without Strong Laws Against Fraud
- The Economy Will Not Recover Until The Perpetrators Of Our Crises Are Held Accountable
- Economist James Galbraith: Economists Should Move into the Background, and "Criminologists to the Forefront"
- Senior S&L Regulator Says Government Engaging in Massive Cover-Up of Economic Crisis: “The Entire Strategy Is to Keep People from Getting the Facts”
- No Wonder the Economy Isn’t Improving
- The Root of the Economic Crisis: Dishonesty
Pic credit: Jesse’s Americain Cafe
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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.