Verifone Systems (PAY) is down $6.91 to $38.09 and reeling today after reporting better than expected Q2 results, but guiding estimates lower for the third quarter. Volume is a heavy 18 million shares, and 10X the expected for midday. 29,000 (register to read more …) [...]

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Groupon (GRPN) adds 16 cents to $11.74 Monday and, despite an 11.3 percent slide Thursday and Friday, is up 22.5 percent from the all-time low of $9.63 set on May 11. One investor seems to be anticipating additional gains over (register to read more …) [...]

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Nasdaq OMX option volume and implied volatility spiked this morning when it became clear that the exchange was having trouble opening Facebook for trading on-time at 11am. While 643 contracts had traded in the first 90mins of the day, between (register to read more …) [...]

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JC Penney (JCP), which was pounded for a 20 percent loss Wednesday and lost another 3 percent yesterday, is up 36 cents to $26.30 and one player opens a bullish longer-term options position on the retailer today — selling 5,000 (register to read more …) [...]

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Darden Restaurants (DRI) sees a midday spike and is up $4.11 to $55.62 on heavy turnover of 4 million shares. Options volume is 25X the daily average, being driven by May, June and July 55 call buyers. 17,000 calls and (register to read more …) [...]

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Rackspace (RAX) loses $1.90 to $50.46 and options volume on the San Antonio, TX web-based IT systems service provider includes 6,670 puts and 765 calls. 5,000 Jun 50 puts traded on the stock for an average of $2.325 per contract (register to read more …) [...]

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Gold Fields (GFI) is off 32 cents to $12.51 and 13,010 Oct 13 calls traded on the gold miner. The top trade is a 946-lot at 83 cents on ISE. It was apparently a closing seller, according to ISEE. Beyond (register to read more …) [...]

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RIM’s woes continue. The stock is off 13 cents to $11.91 and falling to eight-year lows today in active trading of 8 million shares. 73,000 puts and 17,000 calls traded on the Blackberry-maker, including a Jun 13 – Jul 12 (register to read more …) [...]

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Sotheby’s (BID) is down $2 to $37.10, even after the company auctioned Edvard Munch’s “Scream” yesterday in a record $120 million auction for a work of art. One player in the options market might be adjusting a position in BID, (register to read more …) [...]

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MGM shares are off 43 cents to $13.12 in active trading of 14.5 million shares and dipped this morning to test March/April support lows just south of $13 this morning after the casino operator posted a wider-than-expected first quarter loss. (register to read more …) [...]

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