JOYG – Joy Global, Inc. – SThe 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.
VRSN – VeriSign, Inc. – 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.
GE – General Electric – As its shares rally, option traders are increasingly attracted to bullish call options on the industrial conglomerate. In the December contract, a large 50,000 lot position appears to have been established at the 20 strike for a 21 cent premium. With its shares up 2.6% at $15.75 investors are looking at a year-to-date high for the stock. Today’s activity implies a further surge of 27% to the $20 target by year end. The October 17 strike was also notably active where a 32 cent premium today marks the rising cost of securing buying rights at that strike price. Investors traded around 19,000 call options there today. Implied volatility diminished around 4% today to stand at 44%.
