Today’s tickers: EEM, POT, JAVA, BARE, SHAW, EWZ & KG
EEM – iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – Shares of the emerging markets exchange-traded fund are down 1.25% to $40.77 as we head toward the closing bell this afternoon. One bearish option trader exchanged 70,000 contracts in the January 2010 contract to protect against potential declines in the EEM through expiration. It appears the investor sold 35,000 calls at the January 41 strike for an average premium of 2.34 apiece. A chunk of 25,000 of those call options were spread against the purchase of 25,000 puts at the same January 41 strike for a premium of 3.00 per contract. The remaining 10,000 calls were spread against the purchase of 10,000 puts at the lower January 34 strike for 81 pennies each.
POT – Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Inc. – The Canada-based potash producer rose more than 2.5% to $96.72 despite the overall bearish trend for the larger marketplace today. Plain-vanilla call buying suggests bullish investors are hoping POT’s shares continue on the up-and-up through the end of 2009. Approximately 4,000 calls were picked up at the November 100 strike for an average premium of 3.05 apiece. More optimistic individuals looked to the December 105 strike to get long of some 6,200 calls for about 3.02 per contract. Investors holding the December 105 strike calls are now positioned to accumulate profits if shares of POT rally at least 12% from the current price to breach the breakeven point at $108.02.
JAVA – Sun Microsystems, Inc. – Call-selling and put-buying in the January 2010 contract suggests investors expect JAVA’s shares could experience further declines before the year is over. Shares fell less than 0.5% to $9.13 during the trading session. It appears traders sold 4,500 calls at the in-the-money January 9.0 strike for 40 cents apiece. Perhaps these individuals are throwing in the towel on JAVA, salvaging whatever premium they can in case the stock falls below $9.00. Additional bearishness took place at the January 7.5 strike where investors bought more than 16,000 puts for an average premium of 16 cents per contract. Perhaps put-buyers are long shares of the underlying stock. If this is the case, downside protection from the put options will kick in if shares plummet 20% to $7.34 by expiration in January.
BARE – Bare Escentuals, Inc. – The cosmetics and skin care products company popped up on our ‘hot by options volume’ market…
