Calls Hot on OSI Systems After Failed Terror plot
by Option Review - December 30th, 2009 4:12 pm
Today’s tickers: OSIS, SEED, AMZN, KONG & TER
OSIS – OSI Systems Inc. – Investors were keen to put a name on the company that might benefit from a boost to security spending, which is behind the 12.5% rally in shares of OSI Systems today to $28.22. The previous 52-week high stood at $25.64 in the California-based company that makes critical electronic gadgetry to include complex security and inspection systems. The fallout from the Christmas Day arrest of a young Nigerian who apparently attempted to set off an explosive device on a Detroit-bound airplane is fast trickling through to who might win orders from the office of homeland security. Option volume in OSI Systems is a rare thing as indicated by the scant vale of open interest at 4,341 lots. Call option buyers at the January expiration saw to it that the company remains on investors’ radar after they likely doubled the prevailing number of option positions on Wednesday. Some 4,700 calls at the $30 strike were bought starting at 25 cents per contract and rising to as much as $1.00 each as the shares rose in value. The delta reading of 33% implies a one-in-three chance that the share price will rise by a further 6.3% within the next 18 days.
SEED – Origin Agritech – There was a wave of call option activity at Origin Agritech following the technology-focused seed development company’s announcement that it had bought back the remainder of its outstanding notes. The move will probably strengthen its balance sheet and helped spur its share price 25% higher to $12.15. Last month the stock rose to about $15 after the Chinese government said it would work with the company to grow modified corn and rice. Heaviest call volume was seen at the January $12.5 strike where 4,400 lots have traded from Tuesday’s close of 10 cents to 90 cents. The $15 strike calls have traded 1,600 times at an unchanged 30 cents. Option implied volatility spiked from 80% to 103% as uncertainty grew as investors demanded higher premiums to sell options. At the January 10 strike investors appeared swift to sell more than 4,000 put options as low as 40 cents, down from Tuesday’s closing price of $1.10 in the expectation that Origin will remain firm.
AMZN – Amazon Inc. – One investor appeared to take out some protection against a possible decline in shares of…
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Bank of America Call Options Fly Off the Shelves
by Option Review - November 24th, 2009 4:09 pm
Today’s tickers: BAC, GE, SEED, EWZ, DE, STLD, LCC, SEED & DLTR
BAC – Bank of America – Long-term Bank of America bulls are out in full force today, scooping up call options like they’re going out of style. BAC’s shares are off slightly by less than 1% to $16.19. Plain-vanilla call buying in the January 2011 contract indicates investors expect shares to surge over the next 13 months. A large chunk of 50,000 calls were picked up at the January 25 strike for an average premium of 86 cents apiece. Shares must rally 60% from the current price to breach the $25.86 breakeven point on the trade. Twice as many calls were coveted at the higher January 30 strike where 100,000 calls were purchased for 45 cents each. The investor responsible for the massive position breaks even if shares jump 88% to $30.45 by expiration. Finally, another BAC-optimist established a ratio call spread in the same contract. The investor purchased 20,000 calls at the January 20 strike for 1.95 apiece, spread against the sale of 40,000 calls at the higher January 30 strike for 46 cents premium each. The net cost of the spread amounts to 1.03 per contract and positions the trader to profit if shares exceed $21.03 by expiration in January of 2011. Maximum potential profits available on the transaction amount to 8.97 per contract. Option implied volatility on Bank of America is currently 38.65% – a scant 2.93% above the 52-week volatility low of 35.77% – attained back on October 20, 2009.
GE – General Electric – A massive bullish bet on General Electric today indicates one investor expects shares to surge 43.8% in the next 13 months. Shares are currently up just under 1% to $16.16. It looks like a staggering 131,500 calls were purchased at the January 2011 22.5 strike for a premium of 76 cents per contract. The trader is apparently expecting GE’s shares to jump at least 43.8% to the breakeven point at $23.26 by expiration in January of 2011. Option implied volatility on General Electric is down to a one-year low of 29.46%.
SEED – Origin Agritech Ltd. – Frenzied options activity continues today on Beijing-based seed producer, Origin Agritech, following yesterday’s announcement that the firm received approval from China’s Ministry of Agriculture to sell its genetically modified phytase corn. Shares are currently up 4% to $10.86, down from an intraday…
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Virgin Media bulls bank profits and build new positions
by Option Review - November 23rd, 2009 4:38 pm
Today’s tickers: VMED, EWZ, HAL, FMCN, VIX, SEED, GLD, CMCSA, SEED, LDK & USG
VMED – Virgin Media, Inc. – Virgin-bulls banked profits and established new positions on the telecommunications company this afternoon amid a 1% increase in shares to $16.54. One investor initiated the closing purchase of 10,000 put options that were originally sold short for an average premium of 68 cents apiece back on October 16, 2009. Today the trader closed out the position by buying the puts for just 15 cents each. Net profits on the trade amount to 53 cents per contract for a total of $530,000. The same investor is likely responsible for putting on a similar bullish strategy in the March 2010 contract. The March 15 strike had 10,000 puts sold short for one dollar per contract. The sale of the put options implies the trader expects shares of VMED to remain above $15.00 through expiration in March. Finally, optimism spread to the March 17.5 strike where 2,685 calls were purchased for an average premium of 1.45 apiece. Call-buyers amass profits if shares of VMED rally another 15% over the current price to breach the breakeven point at $18.95 by expiration day in March. Option implied volatility is currently 8.5% lower to 42.40%.
EWZ – iShares MSCI Brazil Index ETF – A bullish risk reversal on the EWZ in the January 2010 contract indicates investors are positioning for a rally in shares over the next couple of months. Shares of the fund are trading 1.5% higher to $76.28 this afternoon. Traders sold 5,500 puts at the January 77 strike for an average premium of 4.90 apiece in order to finance the purchase of 5,500 calls at the same strike for 3.35 each. The bullish reversal yields a net credit of 1.55 per contract. Investors retain the full 1.55 credit if shares of the Brazil Index ETF trade above $77.00 by expiration in January. Additional profits accumulate to the upside above the $77.00 breakeven price. The 1.55 credit also acts as a buffer against losses to investors in case shares fail to rise up to the strike price described. Investors short the put options stand ready to have shares of the underlying stock put to them at an effective price of $75.45 each if the put options land in-the-money by expiration.
HAL – Halliburton Co. – Near-term bearish option plays on the oil and gas…
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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.