Mid Cap Stocks
Smithfield Foods (SFD) $25.32 +0.36%
Smithfield Foods (SFD) is up 4 cents to $25.25 and a sweep of 3,568 May 22 puts traded on the meat producer for 20 cents per contract when the market was 10 to 20 cents. Looks like an opening buyer. 3,619 now traded against 1,179 in open interest. It might be a play on USDA [...]
Youku Tudou Inc (YOKU) $16.92 -2.70%
Youku (YOKU) hit a morning high of $17.50, but is now down 48 cents to $16.91 in active trading of 1.3 million shares. Options volume on the Chinese Internet television company is running 2X the daily average. 3,220 calls and 280 puts so far. Players are showing interest in Apr 18, Apr 19, May 19 [...]
US Airways Group Inc (LCC) $16.14 +0.00%
US Airways (LCC) is off a penny to $161.3 and an Apr 16 – May 17 call spread trades on the airliner for 15 cents, 10000X. It probably rolls positions opened last month when positions in April 16s were being bought for $1.12 per contract (see 3/19 and 3/20 color). The activity at that time [...]
Ashland Inc (ASH) $86.56 -0.12%
Ashland (ASH) hit a 52-wee hight today, but is off 41 cents to $86.25. Noteworthy options trades include a 3000-lot of Apr 85 puts on the Kentucky-based chemicals company for 95 cents per contract on AMEX when the market was 90 cents to $1.05. Hearing it was bought. More than 4000 now traded and the [...]
Iron Mountain Inc (IRM) $37.13 -1.72%
Iron Mountain (IRM) is off 67 cents to $37.11 and one investor sold 3260 May 37.5 calls on the stock at 90 cents to buy 2870 Jul 35 puts for $1.15, possibly a type of collar strategy to protect a stock position ahead of the Boston, MA business software developer’s earnings, due out around Apr [...]
Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA) $43.78 +0.44%
Tesla (TSLA) ticks 16 cents higher to $43.75 and a 13500-lot of Jan15 $30 calls is bought on the electric care maker for $7 per contract. The hefty premium purchase is possibly a long-term protective put play on the stock after the recent one-month 11.5 percent climb. 14800 contracts now traded aginast 365 in open [...]
Workday Inc (WDAY) $61.76 +2.83%
Workday (WDAY) is up $1.68 to $61.74 in active trading of 2.2 million shares, but no obvious to explain the relative strength or higher volumes in the Pleasanton, CA app software developer. Options volume is 5,080 calls and 1,235 puts. Jun 65 calls are the most actives. Several smaller lots traded for $3.1 and $3.30, [...]
Computer Sciences Corp (CSC) $46.44 -4.28%
Computer Sciences (CSC) is under pressure Friday and is down $2.10 to $46.42, near session lows and dipping below a 50-day moving average. Options volume on the Falls Church, VA business services company is running 6.5X the daily average, being driven by a sweep of 2500 May 44 puts for $1.15 per contract. A firm [...]
Myriad Genetics Inc (MYGN) $25.72 -1.11%
Myriad Genetics (MYGN) is off 29 cents to $25.72 and a Mar 23 – 25 put spread is bought on the biotech for 35 cents, 4500X. Open interest is sufficient to cover, but much of the OI dates back to last month when the same spread was being bought for 55 cents, 9000X (see 3/15 [...]
Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (DPS) $47.42 -0.39%
Call buyers are thirsty for upside in Dr Pepper Snapple Group this week, with a focus on the May 50 strike, where a buyer paid 30c for 1000 today, likely adding to the 2000 bought yesterday for 27cents. This position, 5.4% out of the money, is now the largest block open in the beverage name [...]
