Diamond Foods (DMND) loses 49 cents to $37.31 and it appears that one or more investors has been building a position in Feb 30 – 35 put spreads on the snack food company today. The top trade is 3,021 Feb (register to read more …) [...]

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Lorillard (LO), which saw increasing volume and higher implied volatility yesterday, is down another $3.75 to $107.63 on volume approaching 2 million shares, which is more than double the normal. The two-day 5.8 percent skid pushed shares of the cigarette (register to read more …) [...]

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Ford Motor (F) adds 7 cents to $13 and morning options trades on the automaker include a Mar $12 – $14 bearish risk-reversal, bought for 8 cents, 10000X. Open interest is sufficient to cover, but this might be an opening (register to read more …) [...]

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Options volume surged and implied volatility in Goodyear Tire (GT) is higher after the company warned at a Deutsche Bank conference that nice weather is taking a toll on winter tire sales. Shares are off $1.42 to $13.86. Meanwhile, 21,000 (register to read more …) [...]

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General Motors (GM) adds 24 cents to $23.16 and a Jan – Feb 20 call spread is bought on the automaker for 25 cents, 12500X, and probably rolls a bullish position in in-the-money calls out an additional month. After losing (register to read more …) [...]

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Eastman Kodak (EK) loses 20 cents to 46 cents after the WSJ wrote that the company is prepping for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection if plans for patent sales fail. Order flow is bearish, with about 12,000 puts and 2,890 calls (register to read more …) [...]

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While overall option volume is very light, TIVO is seeing unusually heavy activity, with 12000 contracts trading, triple the typical daily volume for the name. Puts dominate the flow with a closing customer buyer of Jan 11 puts for $2.34 (register to read more …) [...]

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Pulte Homes (PHM) adds a penny to $6.09 and a 15,884-contract block of Feb 6 puts trades on the homebuilder at 47 cents when the market was 47 to 50 cents. 19,169 now traded against just 9 contracts in open (register to read more …) [...]

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Mead Johnson (MJN) is under pressure this morning and it appears that downside puts are being bought and upside calls are being sold on the stock after a Missouri Walmart pulled a batch of powered infant formula after a baby (register to read more …) [...]

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KB Homes (KBH) adds 47 cents to $7.50 and a 21,580-contract block of Jan 7.5 puts trades on the homebuilder at 48 cents when the market was 48 to 50 cents. It might be an opening put seller after data (register to read more …) [...]

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