Oil & Gas
Encana Corporation (ECA) $20.30 +2.27%
Encana (ECA) adds 45 cents to $20.30 and Mar 22 – April 23 call spread trades on the stock at even money, 12300X on PHLX. Possibly rolling to March, from a position opened on 12/2 when 16,650 Apr 23 calls traded on ECA.
Noble Corp (NE) $37.89 +2.68%
Hearing the Twitterfeed is buzzing with takeover speculation in Noble Corp. (NE). The stock is up $1.02 to $37.92 on 3.2 million shares, which is a bit lighter than usual for the oil driller. However, 14,000 calls and 1,325 puts traded on the stock, which is 3.5X teh daily average. Feb 39 calls, which are [...]
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) $40.47 -1.44%
Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) loses 59 cents to $40.47 and options trades on the stock today include a 14000-contract block of Jan14 55 calls, bought for $4.60, to open. The market was $4.10 to $4.30 at the time. 17,000 now traded and seems to be a longer-term bullish play on the Calgary-based oil and gas [...]
Pioneer Natural Resources Co (PXD) $105.49 +2.76%
Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) is up $2.98 to $105.64 and has now rallied 8.4 percent this week. One player in the options market seems to be anticipating additional gains in the Irving, TX oil and gas company and sold 5,000 Feb 95 puts on the stock to buy 2,500 Feb 105 – 115 call spreads, [...]
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd (CNQ) $40.04 -0.22%
Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) is off 8 cents to $40.05 and midday optoins trades on the Calgary-based energy company include a multi-exchange sweep of 1920 Feb 40 puts for $1 when the market was 90 cents to $1. Data is indicating an opening buyer. An earlier sweep of 1,000 contracts for $1.05 is also a [...]
Whiting Petroleum Corp (WLL) $50.18 +0.18%
Whiting Petroleum (WLL) adds 6 cents to $50.15 and options action is picking up in the name, with 5,080 calls and 580 puts traded on the stock so far. The focus is on Feb 47.5, 55 and 57.5 calls. Speculators are active in the name, and implied vols are up 4 percent to 40.5, amid [...]
ATP Oil and Gas Corp (ATPG) $6.32 -10.23%
Relative weakness and high volume in ATP Oil and Gas (ATPG) today. Shares of the Houston, TX driller are down 10 percent to $6.33 on volume of 3 million shares, which is more than 6X the expected. Options on the stock are actively traded as well. 7,670 puts and 4,880 calls so far. Feb 6 [...]
Exco Resources Inc (XCO) $7.94 -2.93%
Downside put buyers appear to be bracing for additional loses in Exco Resources (XCO). Shares of the Dallas, TX oil and gas company are down 25 cents to $7.93 and have now plummeted more than 60 percent since May. June 6 puts, which are 24.3 percent out-of-the-money with a -.21 delta, are the most actives. [...]
BP Plc (BP) $44.75 +1.38%
BP is seeing relative strength and high volume today. The stock is up 59 cents to $44.73 on volume of 6.3 million shares, which is almost 3X the typical volume. Meanwhile, 48,000 calls and 9,360 puts traded on the oil giant. The top trades are part of a spread, in which the strategist apparently sold [...]
Ultra Petroleum Corp (UPL) $24.22 -2.89%
Ultra Petroleum (UPL) loses 69 cents to $24.25 and a Jun 26 – 28 bearish risk-reversal is bought on the stock for $2, 4825X. The bearish combo has traded 5500 today and might close positions opened on 1/11 when the bullish risk-reversal was being opened for about 20 cents, 7500X on the day. Shares were [...]
