Options Trading & Analysis

Mid-day Flow Summary: INTC, AAPL & Pin Candidates


It's expiration Friday and we're seeing another strong move to the upside for most averages.

Intel  (INTC)
Options on Intel lead the single stock space today. The stock is up 3% on an upgrade and nearly 160,000 contracts have changed hands so far today. More than 100,000 calls and 52,000 puts have traded, for a ratio that is in-line with recent averages for the stock. 

Much of todayís activity involves sellers of calls. It is likely that a few shareholders are taking advantage of an overwriting opportunity at this new high for the year.  By midday nearly 30,000 July 22.5 calls have traded. These transactions were seller initiated at prices ranging from $1 to $1.30.

As a result of this selling activity, implied volatility on the strike has decreased by nearly a point to 27%. Additional sellers are active in July 25 calls, with a multi market sweep order used to sell 3,000 at $.40 this afternoon.

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Pin Candidates
A final check of options with large open interest that expire within hours.

Symbol

Expiry

Strike

Put / Call

Spot

Distance

OI

CVS

Jun7

37.5

Calls

37.61

0.11

44007

CVS

Jun7

37.5

Puts

37.61

0.11

17735

ORCL

Jun7

20

Calls

19.89

0.11

39548

ORCL

Jun7

20

Puts

19.89

0.11

8236

YHOO

Jun7

27.5

Calls

27.365

0.14

17630

YHOO

Jun7

27.5

Puts

27.365

0.14

42350

BAC

Jun7

50

Calls

50.25

0.25

37782

BAC

Jun7

50

Puts

50.25

0.25

47048

AAPL

Jun7

120

Calls

120.26

0.26

50389

AAPL

Jun7

120

Puts

120.26

0.26

39600


AAPL
Activity inthese options today is greatest in the AAPL 120 strike. 33,000 calls and 23,000puts have changed hands so far as traders anticipate last minute attraction to the strike.



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About Henry Schwartz


Henry Schwartz has traded derivatives on US and European exchanges for nearly 20 years. His experience includes market-making and institutional trading at the Hull Group, Salomon Brothers, Bear Stearns and most recently Banc of America Securities, where he led the electronic market-making project coincident with the launch of the ISE. His current work involves real-time stream analysis of options market activity for a number of leading institutional sell-side firms.

View Henry Schwartz's post archive >

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The Options Insider Radio Network

The Options News Rundown

Your source for the most important news and information from the world of options.

The Options News Rundown

The Options Insider Radio Network

All of our radio programs in one convenient place.

The Options Insider Radio Network

Options Insider Radio

The original options podcast. Features interviews with leading options figures.

Options Insider Radio

The Option Block

This high-octane program features education, analysis, strategies and unusual activity.

The Option Block

Volatility Views

The premier radio program for volatility traders.

Volatility Views

The Long And Short Of Futures Options

Your source for futures options information.

The Long And Short Of Futures Options

The Advisor's Option

Arming advisors with the info necessary to manage risk.

The Advisor's Option

Options Boot Camp

Get into peak options trading shape.

Options Boot Camp

Options Insider Special Events

Compelling panel & special event recordings from the options world.

Options Insider Special Events

OIC's Wide World of Options

A dynamic mix of current events, investor resources, & strategy insights.

OIC's Wide World of Options