Pre-Earnings Report Call Spreader Sees Perrigo Co. Rally Ahead
by Option Review - August 3rd, 2011 2:50 pm
Today’s tickers: PRGO, BPL, CLH & CHS
PRGO - Perrigo Co. – Shares in global healthcare supplier Perrigo Company may rise substantially in the next few weeks, according to one options player initiating a debit call spread on the stock this morning. The manufacturer of OTC and generic prescription pharmaceuticals as well as nutritional and medical diagnostic products reports fourth-quarter earnings ahead of the open on August 16. Shares in Perrigo are currently up 0.55% to stand at $86.24 as of 12:45 pm in New York. It looks like the bullish strategist picked up 1,500 in-the-money calls at the August $85 strike for a premium of $2.58 each, and sold the same number of calls up at the August $95 strike at a premium of $0.23 apiece. Net premium paid to initiate the spread amounts to $2.35 per contract, thus positioning the trader to profit should shares in PRGO rally 1.3% to surpass the effective breakeven price of $87.35 at August expiration. The call-spreader could walk away with maximum potential profits of $7.65 per contract in the event that Perrigo’s shares surge 10.2% to a new all-time high of $95.00 by expiration day. PRGO’s shares hit their current record-high of $94.61 on July 21.
BPL - Buckeye Partners, L.P. – Put options on Houston, TX-based pipeline operator, Buckeye Partners, are in demand this afternoon, with shares in the name trading slightly lower by 0.45% to arrive at $63.46 just before 1:00 pm on the East Coast. The provider of transportation, terminalling and storage of petroleum products is scheduled to report second-quarter results before the market opens on Friday. Investors expecting shares in Buckeye pull back purchased nearly 1,500 puts at the September $60 strike for an average premium of $1.27 per contract. It looks like most of the volume was generated by one investor buying 1,300 of the contracts at $1.25 a-pop. The trader may be hedging a long position in the underlying, or could be taking an outright bearish stance on the stock. Profits are…
Regional Banking ETF Put Volume Pops During Afternoon Trading
by Option Review - December 17th, 2010 4:20 pm
Today’s tickers: KRE, CPN, PRGO, FITB, DPS, SMH & M
KRE - SPDR KBW Regional Banking ETF – A large-volume debit put spread initiated on the SPDR KBW Regional Banking ETF this afternoon suggests one options investor is wary that the significant run up in the price of the underlying fund since the start of December could reverse course next year. Shares of the KRE, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of the KBW Regional Banking Index, are up slightly by 0.10% to trade at $25.18 as of 3:30pm. The strategist responsible for the put spread may be building up downside protection, or alternatively, could be taking an outright bearish stance on the regional banking sector through March 2011. Shares in the fund rallied 14.25% during December so far to reach a 6-month high of $25.59 this past Wednesday. The put-spreader picked up 19,000 put options at the March 2011 $24 strike for a premium of $0.81 each, and sold the same number of puts at the lower March 2011 $20 strike at a premium of $0.16 apiece. Net premium paid to initiate the spread amounts to $0.65 per contract. Thus, the investor is prepared to make money, or realize downside protection, if shares of the KRE fall 7.3% from the current price of $25.18 to breach the effective breakeven point on the spread at $23.35 by March 2011 expiration. Maximum potential profits of $3.35 per contract are available to the put-spreader should shares of the underlying fund plummet 20.6% lower to trade below $20.00 by expiration day next year. The fund’s shares have not traded below $20.00 in more than a year.
CPN - Calpine Corp. – A large chunk of call options were picked up on Calpine Corp. late in session by a bullish strategist positioning for shares to rally substantially ahead of January 2011 expiration. Shares of the independent power generation company are up 2.6% this afternoon to stand at $13.22 in the final hour of the trading week. Calpine was recently…
Options Player Eyes ING Upside Potential, Employs Bullish Ratio risk reversal
by Option Review - November 3rd, 2010 7:03 am
Today’s tickers: ING, TMRK, BA, JPM, PRGO, ADP & CPB
ING - ING Groep N.V. – The Amsterdam-based financial services firm popped up on our scanners in the second half of the trading session after one bullish options trader populated the April 2011 contract with a bullish ratio risk reversal strategy. ING’s shares are up 3.35% to trade at $11.14 as of 2:35 pm in New York. The investor utilized 10,800 option contracts to take a bullish stance on the stock, which is sizeable in relation to the 15,233 lots of overall previously existing open interest. The trader sold 3,600 puts at the April 2011 $11 strike at a premium of $1.20 each in order to buy 7,200 calls at the higher April 2011 $13 strike for a premium of $0.55 apiece. The bullish player pockets a net credit of $0.10 per contract on the transaction, and keeps the full amount of premium received as long as ING’s shares exceed $11.00 through April expiration. Additional profits start to accumulate if the price of the underlying stock jumps 16.7% over the current price of $11.14 to surpass the effective breakeven point at $13.00 by expiration day. Shares in ING Groep last traded above $13.00 back on November 24, 2009. ING is slated to report third-quarter earnings ahead of the opening bell on November 10, 2010. The overall reading of options implied volatility on ING is down 4.8% to stand at 39.89% as of 2:45 pm.
TMRK - Terremark Worldwide, Inc. – Shares of the provider of managed IT infrastructure services shot up as much as 13.9% during the session to hit an intraday- and new 52-week high of $11.12. Terremark posted a narrower-than-expected second-quarter loss of $0.12 per share yesterday evening and raised its fiscal 2011 sales view and guidance for the third quarter. The sharp rally in the price of the underlying shares and the firm’s improved outlook going forward inspired one cautiously optimistic options strategist to initiate a delta neutral hedge. It looks like the…