Stock market averages are holding gains on hopes for the Eurozone. Economic data was in focus early Wednesday after data showed Durable Goods orders down .8 percent last month, which was not as bad as the 1 percent decline that was expected. Meanwhile, New Home Sales improved to a better-than-expected 313K annual rate in September. Earnings news was mixed. While Boeing (BA) is up 4.4 percent and the best gainer in the Dow on the heels of its results, Amazon.com (AMZN), Broadcom (BRCM) and Human Genome Sciences (HGSI) are seeing post-earnings weakness. Trading was choppy into midday. However, a modest round of buying interest surfaced in afternoon action on reports China is set to invest in the EU bailout fund. A post-EU summit draft statement highlighting bailout plans helped to bolster the euro as well. The Dow followed the European currency higher and is up 147 points heading into the final hour. The tech-heavy NASDAQ has erased early losses and is up 8 points. CBOE Volatility Index (.VIX) is down 1.81 points to 30.41 and falling to session lows. Overall options volume is light, with 6.4 million calls and 6.1 million puts traded across the exchanges so far.
Bullish FlowQuiet trading in BofA (BAC) so far this week. Shares are up 13 cents to $6.59 today and options volume is 137,000 contracts, which is only 41 percent of the daily average over the past month. Volume in the underlying is 149 million shares and running about 65 percent the typical levels. The top options trade is a 15250-contract block of Jan2013 $5 puts at $1.09 on the International Securities Exchange. Data from the ISE indicate an opening seller. A separate block of 12000 Jan2013 $4 puts was sold-to-open at 73 cents on ISE. Implied volatility in options on the stock is down 6 percent to 61.5 Wednesday and well below the extremes seen in mid-August -- when implied vols in BofA options approached 150. Shares have now gained 19 percent since October 3. Today's put writing in the 2013s along with the recent drop in volume and implied vols seems to reflect expectations that the worst is over for BAC.
Goodrich (GR) adds 46 cents to $122.52 and one player pays $4.31 for the May 120 – 125 call spread on the stock, 5000X. Volume in both contracts is more than 16,000 today and possibly adds to positions opened Friday, when the spread was being bought for $4.20, 4000X. Monday’s open interest data confirm that Friday’s action was new positions. Bullish flow in GR comes in front of earnings, tomorrow morning.
Bearish FlowBank of New York (BK) implied vols are moving higher amid increased put activity. Shares fell to $20.31 in mid-morning trading and are now up 18 cents to $20.92 on reports the bank is being sued for fraud. Massachusetts Secretary Galvin is charging the company with defrauding state pension funds of millions in foreign exchange transactions. Shares are seeing some volatility around the headline and options volume on the stock is 16,000 puts and 2,200 calls. Some players seem to be taking a “buy downside puts, ask questions later” approach, as Nov 18, 19 and 20s are seeing heavy trading on the news. Nov 19 puts are the most actives, with 4,890 traded (77 percent Ask). Meanwhile, implied volatility in BK options jumped 16 percent to 46.5, but still well below the highs of 69 seen in early-August.
Implied volatility Mover40,000 calls and 11,000 puts traded on Valero (VLO) in the first hour Wednesday after the UK’s Daily Mail reported that speculation has been making the rounds that Royal Dutch Shell “could get involved in a possible bidding war for Texas-based Valero Energy, which owns and operates 15 refineries worldwide”. Shares are up $1.93 to $23.77 on the news and the options volume is mostly scattered across a number of number of Nov and Dec puts and calls. November 23 puts are the most actives. 3,343 traded. Nov 25, Dec 24, Dec 25 and Dec 30 calls are seeing active trading as well. Meanwhile, implied volatility in VLO options is up 15 percent to 67, compared to a 52-week high and low of 81 (8/8) and 27 (12/20).
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