Today’s tickers: SLE, TPX, ODP, AUY & BAC
SLE – Cake baker, Sara Lee, attracted bullish investors to the January contract this morning amid a 3% rally in the price of shares to $10.40. Traders thirsting for a rally in SLE by the start of 2010 purchased more than 8,000 calls at the January 12.5 strike for an average premium of 21 cents apiece. Investors holding the calls are now positioned to accumulate profits if shares of Sara Lee surge 22% higher to breach the breakeven price of $12.71 by expiration. We note that SLE has not traded higher than $12.71 since October 6, 2008. – Sara Lee Corp. –
TPX – The manufacturer of luxurious mattresses experienced a 1% decline in shares to $18.04 today despite having received an upgrade to ‘outperform’ from ‘neutral’ and a 12-month price target of $23.00 at Wedbush Morgan Securities. Investors employed two different strategies using options in the October contract. One tactic observed was a bullish risk reversal. The trader shed 1,000 puts at the October 17.5 strike for an average premium of 97 cents in order to partially finance the purchase of 1,000 in-the-money calls at the same strike for 1.85 apiece. The net cost of the reversal amounts to 88 cents per contract. The bullish trader stands ready to breakeven on the transaction if shares can breach the breakeven point at $18.38 by expiration next month. Another investor targeted the same strike to implement a short straddle. This individual sold 2,000 puts for 75 cents each and 2,000 calls for 1.80 per contract at the October 17.5 strike to pocket a gross premium of 2.55. The short straddle indicates that the trader expects shares of TPX to settle at $17.50 by October expiration. If the stock moves 54 cents lower to $17.50, the investor will keep the entire 2.55 premium received on the sale. Otherwise, greater volatility in the price of TPX could result in losses if shares shift outside of the breakeven point to the upside at $20.05, or beneath the breakeven to the downside at $14.95. – Tempur-Pedic International, Inc. –
ODP – Shares of the global supplier of office products slumped 8% lower at the start of the session to $5.86. The stock recovered somewhat by 11:30 am (EDT) with shares down 4% to $6.12. Some investors braced for continued declines in ODP by initiating put spreads in the October contract. It looks…
