All ETFs
SPDR S&P Oil and Gas Exploration and Production (XOP) $54.93 +0.40%
SPDR Oil and Production ETF (XOP) drops 48 cents to $57.19 and 76K puts have traded on the ETF so far. One spread trade accounts for the bulk of the flow, as an investor sold 15,000 May 59 puts on XOP at $4.55, bought 37,500 May 53 puts for $1.23 and sold 22,500 May 48 [...]
iShares iBoxx Dollar High Yield Corporate Bond Fun (HYG) $94.59 -0.22%
iShares High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (HYG) drops 20 cents to $94.60 and 19000 Jun 91 puts trades for an average of 52.5 cents per contract when the market was 50 to 55 cents. Makes 33,000 on the day against 6,546 in open interest. Looks like put buying and the activity might replace some of [...]
Financial Select Sector (XLF) $18.01 -1.91%
SPDR Financials (XLF) drops 35 cents to $18.02 and a 23900-lot of Apr 18 puts is sold-to-close on the ETF at 9 cents per contract on the ISE. More than 97K traded on the day and some of the premium selling probably covers part of the 100,000-lot of Apr 18 puts that was bought on [...]
iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund (FXI) $34.72 -2.38%
Supersize block of China Fund puts traded this morning on NYSE-ARCA (old Pcoast) as a trader rolled part of a large hedge to a longer term and lower strike, while increasing the size to a massive 160,000 contracts, representing nearly half a billion dollars in notional value. Initiator paid 1.03 for 160K May 35 puts [...]
iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (IWM) $91.14 +1.14%
Russell 2000 ETF options are the 2nd most active among ETFs today and puts dominate the flow as shares lift 1.29% to 91.27 after yesterday’s $3.53 decline. Far downside May 81 puts are the most active by far, with an early buyer paying 21 for 40k early today and more trading as part of the [...]
iShares DJ US Home Construction Index Fund (ITB) $22.28 +1.13%
Puts on the DJ Home Construction ETF (ITB) are seeing interest for a second day. A 4468-lot of Jul 21 puts traded on ITB yesterday for 75 cents when the market was 70 to 75 cents. It was opening. Shares are up 24 cents to $22.77 today and a 4686-lot of May 21 puts trades [...]
Market Vectors Oil Services (OIH) $40.81 +1.52%
Oil Services ETF seeing very heavy call volume today as shares recover nearly a third of yesterday’s $2 decline. At noon ET call volume totals 15K contracts (vs 4000 puts) which is 11x normal and buyers paying 20 to 40cents for April 41 calls dominate the flow. Todays buying may be a play for SLB [...]
iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures (VXX) $19.56 -4.68%
iPath Short-term Volatility Fund (VXX) is down 89 centts to $19.63 and an Apr 17 – 19 – 21 put butterfly spread trades on the ETF for $1.04, 9800X. It might close. The same spread saw opening activity on 3/7 when it traded for 47 cents, 5800X (10K on the day). Shares are down 9.2 [...]
Gold Slammed for a Second Day
SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is down $8.80 to $135.15, new 52-week lows, in brisk trading of 20.8 million shares, as the bloodletting in the metals market continues Monday. Gold is down almost $100 to $1404 and, at these levels, would suffer its largest two-day decline since 1983. On the options front, 78,000 calls and 85,000 [...]
SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) $145.39 -3.75%
Huge IV spike in the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), as the yellow metal drops $66 to less than $1500. GLD is off $6.05 to $145 on heavy turnover of 29 million and trading in the options on the ETF is brisk, with 189,000 puts and 140,000 calls on the tape so far. Apr 135 puts [...]
