Today’s tickers: CBST, EFA, IYR, WFMI, PG, FXI, UNG & DVA

CBST – The biopharmaceutical company edged onto our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner this afternoon amid bullish call buying activity. Shares of CBST have surged 10% higher to stand at the current price of $21.91. Near-term optimists hoping for continued gains picked up more than 4,700 calls at the August 22.5 strike price for an average premium of 42 cents per contract. Investors long the calls will begin to accumulate profits in the event that shares rise another 5% to surpass the breakeven point at $22.92 by expiration. Investors exchanged 16,125 lots on the stock today which represents 91.5% of the existing open interest on the stock of 17,594 option contracts. – Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

EFA– The implementation of a bearish put spread on the EFA this afternoon indicates that some see the price of the underlying shares slipping lower by expiration in January 2010. The exchange-traded fund is currently off slightly by less than 0.5% to $51.32. The spread involved the purchase of 7,500 puts at the January 50 strike price for 3.50 each against the sale of 7,500 puts at the lower January 43 strike for 1.40 apiece. The net cost of the transaction amounts to 2.10 per contract and yields maximum potential profits of 4.90 if the stock declines to $43.00 by expiration. – iShares MSCI EAFE Index ETF

IYR– Shares of the real estate exchange-traded fund have rallied more than 2.5% to $39.40 during today’s trading session. Despite the intraday gains, option traders initiated bearish plays on the fund. One investor anticipating significant declines in the fund established a long butterfly spread set to expire in September. The butterfly was constructed through the sale of 20,000 puts [the body] at the central September 34 strike price for 65 cents apiece. The body was then flanked by the purchase of two wings. The higher September 36 strike price had 10,000 puts picked up for 1.15 per contract and the lower September 32 strike had another 10,000 puts bought for 40 cents each. The net cost of the spread amounts to just 25 cents per contract and yields maximum potential profits of 1.75 if the stock declines to $34.00 by expiration. Profits will begin to accrue for the investor if shares fall 9% to breach the upper breakeven point at $35.75. If shares continue to decline down to $34.00, maximum gains…
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