Your intraday options trading update.
High Options Volume by Strike
The iShares Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) tops the strike volume list with the IWM Jun 77 Put trading up slightly to .34 on nearly 58,000 contracts.
CitiGroup (NYSE: C) has two active strikes the C Aug 45 Call and the Aug 43 Call trading about 53,000 contracts apiece. The 45 Call is last at .28 while the 43s were at .58.
Financial Select SPDR (NYSE: XLF) is trading down with the XLF Jun 15 Put up .06 to .22 on 44,416 contracts.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is one of the busier equities in the options marketplace this morning. The MSFT Jan 12 25 Call and the MSFT Jan 12 24 call each trading more than 35,000 contracts. The 25 is up .11 to 1.32 while the 24 is up .16 to 1.80.
Find more option analysis and trading ideas at Options Trading Strategies.
Stocks/Underlying – Big Daily Change in Option Volume
LifePoint Hospitals (NASDAQ: LPNT) is down to 39.35 as it trades 4,000 options contracts, about 69 times typical volume.
Armstrong World Industries (NYSE: AWI) trades 5,000 options with a trader conducting a put debit spread, buying the AWI Sep 40 Puts for $1.50 and selling AWI Sep 35 Puts for $0.50. Trader did approximately 2500 on each side. AWI was trading near 45.14 this morning.
Gen-Probe Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRO) falls more than 11% to about 72.22 and 14,359 options trade. One report says Novartis (NYSE: NVS) may decide not to buy Gen-Probe.
Stocks/Underlying – High Option Volume
The SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) has option volume of about 801,000 contracts as it falls .57 to 129.85. The Standard & Poor’s Index Options (CBOE: SPX) is down 5.84 to 12.94.32 on 311,000 contracts.
The iShares Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) trades 250,000 options and is down .70 to 80.18.
Ford (NYSE: F) is down to 13.98 and trades 188,000 options.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) stock is up .26 to 24.16 and 125,000 options trade.
The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV) trades more than 100,000 options as it rises above 35.
The CBOE Volatility Index (CBOE: VIX) trades about 77,000 contracts and drops to 17.83.
Burney Simpson is the managing editor of InvestorPlace options pages.
