Midday Unusual Options Activity Update: SWY, FCX, FXI, GOOG, HPQ, NOK, AA
Implied Volatility Mover
Implied volatility in the options on Safeway (SWY) is up sharply today amid active trading in the shares and options on the grocery chain. SWY is up 50 cents to $20.69 and on a three-day 5.3 percent advance since peer Supervalu reported better-than-expected earnings Tuesday morning. 8.5 million Safeway shares have traded so far today, which is a lot more than the expected volume of 5.2 million. Meanwhile, 16,000 calls and 7,275 puts traded on the stock, which is 9X the daily average, and levels of implied volatility jumped 23 percent to 29.
Volume Signals
Freeport McMoran (FCX) options volume is running 14X the (22-day) average, with 222,000 contracts traded and call volume accounting for nearly 100 percent of the volume.
iShares China Fund (FXI) options volume is 2.5X the average daily, with 146,000 contracts traded and put volume representing for 69 percent of the activity.
Google (GOOG) options volume is running 4.5X the average daily, with 118,000 contracts traded and call volume accounting for 70 percent of the activity.
Increasing options activity is also being seen in Hewlett Packard (HPQ), Nokia (NOK), and Alcoa (AA).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimers
This article is provided for informational purposes only. No statementin this article should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell asecurity or to provide investment advice. The content provided has beenobtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed as toaccuracy and completeness. optionsXpress makes every effort to providetimely information to its recipients but cannot guarantee specificdelivery times due to factors beyond our control.
Derivatives involve substantial risk and are not appropriate for all investors. Please read the "Disclosure Statement for Futures and Options" prior to investing in futures or options.
"
About Joseph Cusick
Joseph Cusick currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Education and a Senior Market Analyst for optionsXpress. Mr. Cusick seeks out common sense and technologically scalable educational pathways for self-directed investors of all experience levels. He is largely responsible for ramping up delivery of online and offline seminars to customers and potential clients worldwide. Prior to serving in his current role, Mr. Cusick immersed himself in the broker side of optionsXpress by managing his own book of business. Prior to joining optionsXpress, Mr. Cusick served as a market maker and portfolio manager at the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. Joseph is a graduate of Marquette University and holds his Series 4, 7 and 63 registrations with FINRA.
View Joseph Cusick's post archive >
