CAT - Caterpillar, Inc. – The machinery maker's shares fell during the past five trading sessions and started out this week on the decline, as well. Shares in CAT fell briefly this morning, but reversed course to rally as much as 1.8% to an intraday high of $108.27. But, the rebound in the price of the underlying stock today may not be a lasting trend according to some options players initiating bearish stances on Caterpillar today. It looks like one pessimist purchased a put spread, buying around 3,000 puts at the June $100 strike for a premium of $1.39 each, and selling the same number of puts at the lower June $90 strike at a premium of $0.26 a-pop. The net cost of initiating the spread amounts to $1.13 per contract. Thus, the trader starts making money if CAT's shares drop 8.7% from today's high of $108.27 to breach the effective breakeven point on the spread at $98.87 by expiration in June. Maximum potential profits of $8.87 per contract are available to the investor should shares plummet 16.9% to trade below $90.00 at expiration next month. Longer-term bearish sentiment appeared in January 2012 contract put options. One trader purchased 5,000 deep out-of-the-money puts at the January 2012 $72.5 strike for a premium of $1.59 each. Rising levels of options implied volatility on CAT as well as bearish movement in the share price will benefit the investor by lifting premium on the puts, while the erosion of time value on the long position will work against him. The puts may have been tied to stock. Options traders are exchanging roughly 1.6 put options on the stock today for each single call option in play as of 12:30pm in New York.
XRT - SPDR S&P Retail ETF – A large bearish put butterfly spread on the retail ETF this afternoon suggests one options strategist is positioning for a pullback in the price of the underlying ahead of May expiration. Shares in the XRT, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of the S&P Select Industry Index, are down 0.20% to stand at $51.87 as of 12:30pm in New York. The pessimistic player traded a total of 80,000 put options on the fund, driving most of the volume generated on the XRT thus far in the session. It looks like the trader picked up 20,000 puts at the May $47 strike at a premium of $0.37 each, sold 40,000 puts at the May $49 strike for a premium of $0.67 apiece, and purchased 20,000 May $51 strike puts at a premium of $1.27 a-pop. The net cost of establishing the put 'fly amounts to $0.30 per contract and positions the retail-bear to make money in the event that shares in the ETF fall another 2.3% from the current price of $51.87, to breach the upper breakeven price of $50.70 by May expiration day. Maximum potential profits of $1.70 per contract are available to the investor should shares in the fund fall 5.5% to settle at $49.00 at expiration. Enacting this strategy significantly reduces the overall cost of taking a bearish stance on the retail sector, as opposed to buying the May $51 strike puts outright or purchasing a debit put spread, for example. Additionally, the put 'fly requires relatively smaller downside moves in XRT shares before the position to breaks even than the aforementioned strategies.
FIS - Fidelity National Information Services – A three-legged options combination play on the global provider of banking and payments technology solutions, processing services and information-based services, indicates one strategist is long-term bullish on Fidelity National Information Services. Shares in FIS are currently up 0.20% to stand at $28.55 in the final 20 minutes of the session. The transaction positions the investor to attain maximum possible profits in the position if FIS shares break well above the current 52-week high of $30.78 on the stock. The options player sold 1,105 puts at the January 2012 $22.5 strike for an average premium of $1.03 each in order to offset the cost of buying the same number of January 2012 $30 strike calls at an average premium of $2.23 apiece, marked against the sale of 1,105 calls at the higher January 2012 $32.5 strike for an average premium of $1.05 a-pop. Net premium paid to initiate the three-legged spread amounts to $0.15 per contract. Thus, the options trader stands ready to make money should FIS shares surge 5.6% over the current price of $28.55 to exceed the average breakeven point to the upside at $30.15 ahead of expiration day next January. Maximum potential profits of $2.35 per contract are available to the trader should shares in Fidelity National Information Services jump 13.8% to trade above $32.50 before the contracts expire in 2012.
XLE – Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF – A massive put spread purchased on the XLE, an exchange-traded fund designed to correspond to the performance of the Energy Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index, points perhaps to one investor's expectation that the price of the fund's shares are set to decline ahead of September expiration day. Shares of the fund are currently up 0.40% at $54.06 as of 3:45 pm ET. It looks like the pessimistic player picked up approximately 40,000 puts at the September $53 strike for an average premium of $0.21 each, and sold about the same number of puts at the lower September $52 strike at an average premium of $0.44 a-pop. Net premium paid to purchase the spread amounts to $0.23 per contract. The investor responsible for the transaction stands ready to make money if shares of the XLE fall 2.4% from the current price of $54.06 to breach the effective breakeven point at $52.77 by expiration next Friday. Maximum potential profits of $0.77 per contract – for a total of $3,080 million – are available to the trader if the XLE's shares drop 3.8% to slip beneath $52.00 by expiration day.
CROX – Crocs, Inc. – The footwear firm's shares plunged 15.5% in afternoon trading to touch down at an intraday low of $11.68. Sharp share price erosion spurred put buying by options traders expecting the stock to continue lower ahead of October expiration. Investors purchased approximately 5,100 now in-the-money puts at the October $12 strike for an average premium of $0.85 each. Put players make money if shares fall another 4.5% from today's low of $11.68 to breach the average breakeven point at $11.15 by expiration day next month. Options implied volatility on the shoe maker shot up 26.7% to 66.39% as of 3:40 pm ET.
AXL – Shares of the Tier 1 supplier of parts and components to the automotive industry have rallied more than 8.5% to a whopping $2.78 today. The improvement in the stock, since touching down to just 26 cents on March 9, 2009, prompted one uber-bullish investor to enact a call spread in the October contract. The trader seems to have determined that the $300 million cut in AXL's second- and third-quarter revenue streams, felt in the wake of its bankruptcy-brethren GM and Chrysler, will have been replenished by the fall. The summer shutdowns by the automakers are certainly painful for the time being as the two behemoths account for 90% of AXL's annual revenue. Hoping for a ridiculous turnaround in circumstances, the investor initiated the purchase of 10,000 calls at the October 5.0 strike price for a premium of 40 cents apiece which were spread against the sale of 10,000 calls at the higher October 7.5 strike for about 15 cents each. The net cost of the transaction amounts to 25 cents and yields maximum potential profits of 2.25. Shares will need to grow with the tenacity of the Hulk in order to rally more than 169% over the next five months. – American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.
PALM – Put options on the mobile devices company were favored by option investors on the scene today amid a share price decline of 3% to $13.22. One trader targeted the July contract in order to initiate a bearish ratio put spread. The transaction involved the purchase of 2,800 puts at the in-the-money July 14 strike puts for a premium of 2.82 per contract spread against the sale of 5,600 puts at the lower July 10 strike for about 70 cents apiece. The net cost of the pessimistic play on PALM amounts to 1.42 and yields maximum potential profits of 2.58 to the trader if shares decline down to $10.00 by expiration. Profits begin to amass if shares fall another 5% to the breakeven point at $12.58 by expiration next month. Option implied volatility has ramped up significantly over the past couple of days from 93% at the start of Thursday to the current reading of 112% ahead of the release of The Pre tomorrow. – Palm, Inc.