Investor Appetite for China-Biotics Put Options Rises as Shares Nosedive
by Option Review - January 21st, 2011 4:16 pm
Today’s tickers: CHBT, JPM, ACOR & PLCM
CHBT - China-Biotics, Inc. – Demand for put options on the food products company jumped at the start of the session and continued to grow throughout the trading day with shares of the probiotics products maker dropping as much as 15.7% to hit an intraday low of $14.90. As of 1:25pm, the overall reading of options implied volatility on the stock has climbed 108.1% to 124.23%. Investors piled into put options right out of the gate this morning, exchanging more than 6,470 contracts at the February $15 strike on open interest of 1,400 lots. It looks like the majority of these puts, at least 3,600 of them, were purchased for an average premium of $1.71 each. Put buyers at this strike start to make money if shares in the Shanghai-based company fall another 10.8% off of today’s low of $14.90 to breach the average breakeven point to the downside at $13.29 by expiration day next month. Pessimism on the stock spread to the lower February $12.5 strike where some 2,300 puts were picked up at an average premium of $0.71 apiece. Investors holding these contracts stand prepared to profit in the event that China-Biotics’ shares plunge 20.9% to trade below the average breakeven price on the puts at $11.79. The sale of some 1,100 call options at the February $15 strike for an average premium of $1.91 per contract is also a sign of near-term bearish sentiment on CHBT. More than 22,440 options have changed hands on the stock in early afternoon trade on overall previously existing open interest of 36,277 contracts.
JPM - JPMorgan Chase & Co. – A massive call spread purchased on JPMorgan in the first 15 minutes of the trading session suggests one bullish strategist expects shares in the name to rally substantially ahead of March expiration. Shares in the financial services firm are up 0.60% to stand at $45.02 just before 11:15am in New York, but earlier increased as much as 1.8% to touch…