Anadys Pharm-Bull Eyes Upside, Buys Call Spread
by Option Review - March 11th, 2010 4:57 pm
Today’s tickers: ANDS, FXI, GME, BIIB, TRA, WYN & AES
ANDS – Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – Biotechnology firm, Anadys Pharmaceuticals, enticed a long-term bullish investor to shell out option premium in order to establish a debit call spread in the September contract. ANDS-shares are trading 0.45% higher on the day to $2.19 as of 2:25 pm (ET). The optimistic options player purchased 3,000 calls at the September $2.5 strike for a premium of $0.55 apiece, marked against the sale of 3,000 calls at the higher September $5.0 strike for $0.15 each. The net cost of the call spread amounts to $0.30 per contract. The transaction positions the trader to accrue maximum potential profits of $2.20 per contract should shares of the underlying stock surge 128.3% over the current price to $5.00 by expiration day in September. Shares must rally at least 27.85% in order for the investor to break even on the trade at a share price of $2.80 each.
FXI – iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index Fund – The China exchange-traded fund, which corresponds to the price and yield performance of an underlying index invested in 25 of the largest and most liquid Chinese companies, realized a 0.95% decline in the price of its underlying shares to $41.13 this afternoon. Investors touting long-term pessimistic outlooks on the fund purchased put options in the January 2011 contract. It appears some 25,500 put options were picked up at the January 2011 $35 strike for an average premium of $2.50 apiece. Put-purchasers could be seeking downside protection on long underlying share positions. On the other hand, the contracts may have been purchased outright by extremely bearish individuals anticipating a 21% decline in shares of the FXI to $32.50 ahead of expiration. Investors in this case reel in profits should the price of the underlying fund trade below $32.50 in the next nine months to expiration day in January.
GME – GameStop Corp. – Shares of the largest retailer of video games jumped more than 5.10% during the trading session to $19.22 due to speculation the firm may be acquired. Despite the current rally in GameStop’s shares to $19.22 today, the stock still stands 41.45% below its 52-week high of $32.82 attained back on April 13, 2009. Investors taken-in by the takeover rumors purchased approximately 10,300 calls at the March $20 strike for an average premium of $0.47 per contract. The call options…
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Natural Gas Options Trader Enacts Bullish Risk Reversal
by Option Review - February 16th, 2010 4:32 pm
Today’s tickers: UNG, IP, EEM, CAH, TRA, UAUA, USO, WFMI, BRK.B & ANF
UNG – United States Natural Gas ETF – Shares of the natural gas exchange-traded fund, which mirrors the price and performance of natural gas, are down 1.85% to $9.67 with just under one hour remaining in the trading session. Options traders initiated bullish plays in the March contract despite the dip lower in the price of the underlying shares. It looks like one investor initiated a bullish risk reversal to position for a rebound in the price per UNG share by March expiration. The trader sold 8,250 in-the-money puts at the March $10 strike for a premium of $0.64 each in order to offset the cost of buying 8,250 calls at the same strike for $0.40 apiece. The trader pockets a net credit of $0.24 per contract on the reversal, which he keeps if shares of the fund trade above $10.00 by expiration day. Additional profits are available to the upside if and when the price per share exceeds $10.00 apiece.
IP – International Paper Co. – Global paper and packaging firm, International Paper Company, enticed bullish options traders to initiate optimistic positions in the March contract as shares of the underlying stock jumped 6% in late afternoon trading to $23.92. Plain-vanilla call buying took place at the March $25 strike where upwards of 10,000 contracts were purchased for an average premium of $0.45 apiece. Call buyers stand ready to accrue profits should IP’s shares rally another 6.40% over the current value of the stock to surpass the effective breakeven point on the calls at $25.45 by March expiration.
EEM – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – Shares of the emerging markets exchange-traded fund, which generally corresponds to the price of the MSCI Emerging Markets index that was created by MSCI as a benchmark for international stock performance, rallied 2.30% to $39.32 this afternoon. June contract options activity on the EEM suggests shares may stagnate near the current price through expiration in four months. It looks like options traders sold straddles in order to pocket premium on the sale of both calls and puts. Investors sold approximately 9,100 calls at the June $39 strike for an average premium of $2.95 apiece and sold 9,100 puts at the same strike for a premium of $2.65 each. Gross premium enjoyed by straddle-sellers amounts to $5.60 per contract. Investors…
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Option Traders Try Their Luck with Out-of-the-Money Calls on MGM Mirage
by Option Review - December 23rd, 2009 4:13 pm
Today’s tickers: MGM, EWC, EWZ, DHI, XLF, GLW, TRA, CF, PHM, GFI & EBAY
MGM – MGM Mirage, Inc. – Shares of casino resort operator, MGM Mirage, rallied 5.25% this afternoon to $9.62. Option traders expecting shares to rally significantly in the next 12 months bought call options in the January 2011 contract. Approximately 20,000 calls were purchased at the January 2011 20 strike for an average premium of 70 cents per contract. Investors break even on the calls if MGM’s shares more than double by expiration. Shares must rally at least 115% to the breakeven price of $20.70 in order for call-buyers to begin to accumulate profits.
EWC – iShares MSCI Canada Index ETF – The exchange-traded fund, which mirrors the performance of publicly traded securities in the Canadian market, attracted pessimistic option players. The bearish risk reversal established on the fund contrasts with the nearly 1.5% rally in shares of the underlying to $26.30 during the session. It appears one investor sold 12,500 calls at the June 27 strike for a premium of 1.60 each, spread against the purchase of the same number of calls at the lower June 26 strike for two dollars premium apiece. The net cost of the reversal amounts to 40 cents per contract. Profits on the trade – assuming the investor holds no underlying stock position – accrue if shares of the EWC slip beneath the breakeven point to the downside at $25.60 by expiration in June 2010.
EWZ – iShares MSCI Brazil Index ETF – A number of bullish trades on the Brazil exchange-traded fund today suggest shares of the EWZ are set to rally in the first few months of the new year. Shares edged 1.5% higher during the trading day to stand at $73.21. Optimistic traders employed a number of different option strategies in order to position for bullish movement in the price of the underlying stock. One trader initiated a risk reversal in the January contract by selling 6,000 puts at the January 72 strike for 1.80 each, spread against the purchase of 6,000 in-the-money calls at the same strike for 2.70 apiece. The cost of getting long the call options is reduced to 90 cents per contract for the reversal player. Profits on the position amass above the breakeven price of $72.90. Another option bull unfurled the wings of a butterfly spread in the March contract. The trader…
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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.