TripAdvisor Options Draw A Crowd As Shares Visit Fresh Record Highs
by Option Review - March 6th, 2013 1:22 pm
Today’s tickers: TRIP, SWHC & ARO
TRIP - TripAdvisor, Inc. – Shares in the online travel company rallied nearly 7% to a fresh record high of $50.88 on Wednesday morning on positive comments and a target share price increase to $52.00 from $50.00 at Deutsche Bank. TripAdvisor’s shares have increased more than 75% during the past four months, rebounding explosively off a 52-week low of $28.63 set back in November of 2012. Options traders positioning for TRIP’s shares to extend gains during the next few months appear to be buying upside calls across several expiries today. Near-term bulls snapped up around 1,600 calls at the Mar. $55 strike for an average premium of $0.09 apiece this morning, and may profit at expiration next week in the event that shares in the name surge 8.3% to top the average breakeven point at $55.09. The $55 strike call options expiring in April and June are also active, with traders picking up around 550 lots at the June $55 strike for an average premium of $0.80 each, and roughly 650 of the June $55 strike calls at an average premium of $2.29 a-pop in the early going today. Finally, it looks like one options strategist has generated substantial paper profits on a bullish spread initiated back on February 12th. The sizable one-by-two ratio call spread, constructed with the purchase of 1,500 Mar. $47 calls at a premium of $2.40 each against the sale of 3,000 Mar. $50 calls at a premium of $1.20 apiece, was purchased flat and makes maximum potential profits of $3.00 per contract if shares in TRIP settle at $50.00 at March expiration next week.
SWHC - Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. – Gun manufacturer, Smith & Wesson, raised its profit and sales forecast for fiscal 2013, reported third-quarter net income that more than tripled versus the year ago quarter on a near 40% rise in sales for the period, yet shares in the firearms maker are selling off today, down 6% at $9.60 as of the midday…
Bearish Options On Vail Resorts Pay Off For Some Traders As Shares Slide
by Option Review - December 4th, 2012 1:58 pm
Today’s tickers: MTN, TRIP & CS
MTN - Vail Resorts, Inc. – Shares in ski resort operator, Vail Resorts, Inc., dropped sharply on Tuesday after the company posted a larger-than-expected first-quarter loss and warned it may miss its projected earnings target for the year. The stock currently trades down 9.2% on the day at $50.70 as of 11:00 a.m. in New York, the lowest level since August. Rising open interest levels and a review of time and sales data for transactions in MTN front-month put options on Monday indicates some strategists were anticipating the stock may pullback after earnings. Bearish players appear to have purchased around 200 puts at the Dec. $52.5 strike for an average premium of $0.65 each and more than 350 put options at the Dec. $55 strike at an average premium of $1.48 apiece. Traders prepared for Vail Resorts to hit an icy patch find the value of their contracts have more than tripled overnight, with premium on the $52.5 and $55 strike contracts rising to $2.50 and $4.60 apiece, respectively, as of 11:15 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning. Finally, traders also appear to be selling upside calls on Vail, with around 225 of the Dec. $57.5 strike calls hitting the bid price of $0.05 in the early going.
TRIP - TripAdvisor, Inc. – Shares in online travel company, TripAdvisor, Inc., are on the decline today, trading down 3.75% at $36.28 as of 11:30 a.m. ET. Upside call buying on the stock, however, suggests some strategists are positioning for the price of the underlying to rebound ahead of December expiration. Options volume on TRIP today is greatest in the front month calls, with heavy trading traffic in the $38 and $39 strike contracts. Traders exchanged some 1,400 call options at the Dec. $38 strike and another 1,100 lots at the higher Dec. $39 strike. It looks like most of these calls were purchased earlier in the trading session at average premiums of $0.65 and…
Appetite For Diamond Foods Options Rises As Shares Tumble
by Option Review - February 9th, 2012 1:55 pm
Today’s tickers: DMND, MHS & TRIP
DMND - Diamond Foods, Inc. – Investors sent shares in the maker of Pop Secret and Emerald snack nuts sharply lower on Thursday after the Company said it will replace its top two executives and restate earnings for the past two years. The already hard-hit stock opened down more than 40.0% this morning to touch an intraday- and multi-year low of $21.44. Options on Diamond Foods attracted all kinds today, with some strategists nibbling at calls and selling puts, while others position for further downside in the name. Investors expecting shares to somewhat recover in the next six trading sessions picked up call options in the front month. Approximately 1,400 calls were purchased at the Feb. $25 strike for an average premium of $0.86 each. Call buyers may profit at expiration next Friday in the event that DMND’s shares rally 11.2% off the current price of $23.25 to top the average breakeven price of $25.86. Meanwhile, out-of-the-money put selling in the front month may mean some traders expect the stock is unlikely to tumble much further from here within the next week. Put sellers looked to the Feb. $20 strike, selling around 1,500 of the contracts to receive an average premium of $0.64 per contract. Traders keep the full amount of premium as long as shares in Diamond Foods exceed $20.00 through expiration. Options volume on the food products company today currently exceeds 95,000 contracts, an active day for the stock, which has 158,981 contracts comprising overall open interest.
MHS - Medco Health Solutions, Inc. – Shares in the pharmacy-benefits-manager (PBM) are off slightly this morning, down 0.20% at $60.70 as of 11:30 a.m. in New York, but options activity in the name suggests the stock…