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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DiggJoy Global Calls Active
by Option Review - September 15th, 2009 4:11 pm
Today’s tickers: JOYG, VRSN, GE, DAL, TER, SCHW & KR
JOYG - The mining equipment manufacturer has enjoyed a more than 2.5% increase in shares during today’s session to stand at $44.40. Investors hoping for continued bullish momentum for the stock busied themselves with buying up call options in the September contract. It looks like nearly 8,000 call options were coveted for an average premium of 85 cents apiece at the now in-the-money September 44 strike. Investors holding the calls have the right to take delivery of the stock at $44.00, but they will not realize profits unless shares of JOYG climb through the breakeven point at $44.85 by expiration on Friday. – Joy Global, Inc. –
VRSN - Internet infrastructure services provider, VeriSign, jumped onto our ‘most active by options volume’ market scanner today after 25,000 call options were traded by one investor targeting the December contract. Shares of VRSN are currently trading flat on the day at $22.46. The chunk of 25,000 calls were traded at the out-of-the-money December 25 strike for an average premium of 87 cents per contract. It appears that the calls were tied to shares of the underlying stock. It could be the case that the investor is taking a bullish stance on VRSN by initiating a covered call. If this is the case, the trader purchased shares of the underlying and simultaneously shed call options. This strategy would partially offset the cost of getting long the stock by the amount of premium received and establish an effective exit strategy. The covered call reduces the price paid per share to about $21.59 and positions the trader to attain maximum potential gains of 3.41 – or 16% – in the event that the stock rallies higher than $25.00 by expiration. Shares would be called from him by expiration day if the calls were to land in-the-money. Another possible motivation for the call transaction is that the investor is decidedly bearish on VeriSign. If this is the case, the trader sold the stock short because he believes the stock will fall, and then bought calls as an effective stop-loss strategy. If the stock should rally by expiration rather than decline, the trader can purchase the shares for $25.00 each to cover his short position and cap potential losses. – VeriSign, Inc. –
GE - As its shares rally, option traders are increasingly attracted to bullish call options on…
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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...
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