Options investors are betting positive reports will continue for discount merchandiser, FRED. 7/24/08
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UNUSUAL TRADING ACTIVITY ARCHIVE
Finding a Good Deal -- Fred's Inc. (FRED)
It's a Jungle Out There -- Amazon (AMZN)
An speculative trade signalsa strong negative bias to the market's likely reaction to AMZN's report. 7/22/08
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The Light Goes On -- Mirant Corp. (MIR)
It is likely that when earnings are reported, MIR will light up 7/18/08
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Diversified Internet Looking Better? -- IAC InterActiveCorp (IACI)
Investors anticipate upward volatility in IACI beyond current expectations. 7/18/08
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Russian TV Getting Bad Ratings? -- CTC Media (CTCM)
In front of CTCM's July 29 earnings, options traders are signaling that the stock may be dropping. 7/18/08
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Rolling ... Rolling -- Kohl's Corp. (KSS)
Big money options traders are going shopping at KSS ... for puts. 7/16/08
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Jack be Quick -- Jack Henry (JKHY)
With JKHY off 25% in the past two months, is there more weakness ahead? 7/10/08
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MINI Getting Smaller -- Mobile Mini (MINI)
It appears investors know MINI well and are returning to the well for more profits. 7/9/08
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Ingram Micro (IM) -- On a Roll
Put rollers are likely playing IM's earnings which are expected on July 24. 7/7/08
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Aquisition Rumors Send NVIDIA (NVDA) and Zoran (ZRAN) Soaring
ZRAN's July call buyers are indicating that something may happen soon. 7/2/08
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Let's Talk Turkey -- Tyson Foods (TSN)
On the heals of an announcement to partner with an Indian poultry processor, TSN investors are saying something with put writes. 6/30/08
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Confluence of Thought -- Short Expedia (EXPE)
Options traders are betting that online travel booking site EXPE is going to run out of fuel. 6/30/08
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Put Buyers at These Levels?
Spend some time doing a little homework this weekend, especially, if you are long GEO, MSM or ATVI. 6/27/08
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Coming to a Head -- Headwaters (HW)
HW's call activity that's five times its usual level is worth asking: What's coming to 'Head'waters? 6/27/08
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NetGear (NTGR) Going from Reverse to Forward?
Insider action is hot for DKS ahead of June expirations. 6/26/08
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Batteries Better than Oil? - EnerSys (ENS)
How much juice is left in ENS' batteries? 6/20/08
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What Goes Up Must Come Down -- Ingram Micro (IM)
Options investors are making a substantial bet today that IM will begin to drop. 6/20/08
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How Low Can U.S. Bancorp (USB) Go?
USB is trading near a 52-week low, but options investors are betting it will go much lower. 6/19/08
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It's Time -- Time Warner Telecom (TWTC)
Time to start checking all the lines to see if there is anything happening at TWTC. 6/19/08
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Kicking Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) Through the Uprights
Insider action is hot for DKS ahead of June expirations. 6/18/08
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Checking Out of Health Care REIT (HCN)?
Is something ailing HCN? 6/17/08
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Going Down Smoothly -- Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE)
Will CCE put buyers drink in profits or simply choke? 6/16/08
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Head North -- Northgate Minerals (NXG)
Is is time to start digging for some NXG gold? 6/16/08
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Keeping Up with Pacer Int'l (PACR)
Investors are getting long PACR via call options but is it just a hedge? 6/12/08
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Running the Other Way -- Plexus (PLXS)
Call buyers have traditionally had high levels of success with PLXS and they're looking to continue the trend. 6/11/08
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Max bullishness at Skyworks Solutions (SWKS)?
Put option trading is skyrocketing in Skyworks (SWKS). 6/10/08
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What is a Fair Price for Fair Isaac (FIC)?
FIC helps companies to get a fair deal, and call option buyers are hoping to have the favor returned. 6/10/08
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Is the Writing on the Walls of AvalonBay (AVB)?
Put option buyers are hitting the scene in real estate investment trust AVB. 6/9/08
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We're Watching You -- McAfee (MFE)
Massive call-buying by big-money investors indicates they plan to clean up with MFE. 6/5/08
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Ivanhoe Mines (IVN) -- On the Move Again
Call buying in IVN has been steady for the past several months and is heating up more. 6/4/08
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A 'Long' Came a Takeover? -- Long Drugs (LDG)
Investors are betting on something significant happening for LDG ... and soon. 6/4/08
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Digital River (DRIV) Running Faster
Traders believe DRIV may make an important announcement to take the stock higher in the near term. 6/3/08
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To Have and Avnet (AVT)
Options investors are betting on big moves in AVT--but do the bears agree? 6/2/08
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How Low Will It Go? -- KeyCorp (KEY)
Put option traders are foreseeing a KEY drop before September. 6/2/08
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Tried and True -- Energen Corp. (EGN)
EGN may not be the hottest stock in the market but it may be one of the best for making money. 5/30/08
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Watch TIVO Closely
TIVO is completing a consolidation that began in mid-2004, and could quickly lead to gains. 5/30/08
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Here We Go Again -- Expedia (EXPE)
Traders believe an upside event for EXPE will occur before June 20 options expiration. 5/29/08
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Insurance Buys on Unum Group (UNM)
Put option buyers are ensuring they're insured against a drop in UNM. 5/28/08
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LSI Corp. (LSI) Climbing
Even with 40% appreciation in LSI, options investors appear to be pressing harder on the accelerator. 5/28/08
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Has Energy Crescendoed? -- Plains Exploration & Production (PXP)
Enthusiasm for PXP's chances of going higher from here is clearly diminished. 5/27/08
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Keep on Drinking -- Molson Coors Brewing (TAP)
Big-money call buyers are returning to the TAP for more options profits.
5/23/08
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Party On, Bud -- Anheuser Busch (BUD)
Investors are bullish amid unsubstantiated rumors that BUD might be an aquisition target. 5/22/08
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Follow the Migration to Frontier Oil (FTO)
FTO's past problems have made it relativley cheap and call option buyers think it's a good buy. 5/21/08
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How High Will IO Go? -- Ion Geophysical (IO)
It's clear that investors don't expect IO to stay flat -- but which direction will it move? 5/21/08
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Big Wheels Keep Rolling -- Titan Int'l (TWI)
TWI's unusual activity almost equals the total call open interest in all expiration dates and strikes. 5/20/08
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Nuts Over Health Net (HNT)
Takeover rumors appear to be the driving investors nuts for HNT. 5/20/08
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Red alert at Heinz (HNZ)
Massive buying in December HNZ puts suggests it could take awhile for the ketchup stock to trickle. 5/15/08
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Exposing itself -- Emcore Corp. (EMKR)
EMKR is down 40% YTD, but call option buyers are emerging en masse. 5/15/08
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Is something cooking at Carpenter Tecnology (CRS)?
Options trading activity is decidedly bullish today in CRS. 5/15/08
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Got Gas? -- Energen Corp. (EGN)
Call option buyers are emerging in big numbers in EGN. 5/13/08
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TIBCO kid was a friend of mine -- Tibco Software (TIBX)
Software company TIBX is showing some strong options buying. 5/12/08
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'Aruba, Jamaica, oooh I Wanna Take Ya' -- Aruba Networks (ARUN)
Making bullish trades in ARUN might be a good idea, but only as a quick trip. 5/12/08
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Has the Bear Found Prudential (PRU)?
Option buyers are betting that there's further news to essentially cut PRU's stock in half. 5/9/08
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Another Round -- Molson Coors Brewing (TAP)
A bullish call spread in TAP means investors are betting the good times continue will to roll.
5/8/08
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Life or Death -- Hill-Rom (HRC)
It looks like HRC may be getting a dose of its own medicine. 5/8/08
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Clouds in the Forecast for Pacific Sunwear? (PSUN)
Put traders indicate the sun is going down for PSUN. 5/7/08
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A Star is Born -- Starent Networks (STAR)
A rising STAR seems to have become a shooting one! 5/7/08
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This Bud's For Your Portfolio -- Anheuser-Busch (BUD)
Have BUD investors had too much to drink, or is the party on? 5/6/08
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Rack 'Em Up -- Rackable Systems (RACK)
Having recently broken through multiple moving average lines to the upside, this might be a time to place a bet on RACK. 5/5/08
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Netease.com (NTES) May Please
Are bullish NTES buyers betting on earnings or is this a takeout? 5/2/08
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'Sad' SAP AG (SAP)
Our screens show a red tide for SAP as put open interest is soaring. 5/2/08
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Bumps in the Road -- Rohm and Hass (ROH)
Is ROH's bumpy road the road to profits? 5/2/08
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Streaking with Bare Escentuals (BARE)
It's hard to take our eyes off BARE, as it may go streaking downward in the near term.4/30/08
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A Slippery Slide: Carbo Ceramics (CRR)
Oil field services company CRR is slipping, per some big-money put buyers. 4/29/08
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Is Southern Co. (SO) Going South?
With earnings scheduled for April 30, SO investors are nervous and buying puts. 4/29/08
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Feed Your Appetite for Fat Profits with General Mills (GIS)
GIS doesn't report earnings until late June, so what's behind its mystery upside? 4/28/08
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Moody? Who Needs It? -- Moody's Corp. (MCO)
All of MCO's unusually large activity has the same directional flavor -- down. 4/25/08
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Insurance on insurance? RenaissanceRe Holdings (RNR)
Put buyers seem 'sure' that insurance/re-insurance provider RNR is dropping. 4/24/08
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Is Papa John's (PZZA) Pie Overcooked?
Trading in PZZA has a bearish flavor -- are inflationary pressures eating away at the fat margins in this great business? 4/24/08
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Ivanhoooooooe Mines (IVN) -- Here Come the Gold Prospectors Again
Enormous bets are being made in IVN, which hasn't shown much sign of life lately. 4/24/08
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The Beat Goes On -- St. Jude Medical (STJ)
Options traders are indicating their bullishness about STJ in a big way. 4/23/08
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Let's Go Dutch, Not! -- ASML Holding (ASML)
Trading in ASML has us wondering if there is something up to take the stock down. 4/23/08
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Plugging the Holes on the HMSY -- HMS Holdings (HMSY)
Traders appear to be preparing a mutiny against further downside in HMSY between now and May 16, options expiration day. 4/22/08
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The choice of this expiration cycle -- Pepsi (PEP) puts
Put options are effervescing in PEP today. 4/21/08
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Bustin' Out -- Hercules (HPC)
A Herculean amount of calls traded today in HPC. 4/21/08
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Harmonic (HLIT) hits a foul note
Investors are 'tuning' out HLIT but put buyers think they'll hear the cash register ringing. 4/21/08
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A Measure of Control -- Johnson Controls (JCI)
JCI might be one of the better ways to avoid additional earnings risk in your portfolio while riding a blue chip company higher. 4/18/08
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Leap to the Gold -- Ivanhoe Mines (IVN)
Given the nature of the options activity today, it feels like IVN may be a takeover target. 4/17/08
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Ice, Ice Baby -- Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)
There have been rumors of a takeout of ICE. Is tomorrow the day we find out? 4/17/08
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A Bet Against Methanol -- Methanex Corp (MEOH)
An extraordinary 14,000-plus option contracts traded so far today in MEOH. 4/16/08
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Is It Over Yet? -- Financials Up or Down
Today, there are significant rolling put buyers in LEH, MER, STI and WB. 4/15/08
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Fly Higher Than an Eagle -- Petrohawk Energy (HK)
HK's stock has appreciated about 7% since it hit our radars on April 4. 4/14/08
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Don't Be a Chicken -- Tyson Foods (TSN)
Looks like a shot of protein may be in store for TSN. 4/10/08
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Yahoooooooooo ... above $30 in a week?
Is sentiment in YHOO improving in regard to a potential MSFT deal? 4/9/08
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Coming in Hot: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (HOT)
As consumers' travel budgets tighten, HOT option traders are betting on some serious downside. 4/9/08
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Heads up! Fast and furious options trading at Citirx Systems (CTXS)
Is a takeover or some other big news in store for CTXS? Because that's how fast its options are trading! 4/8/08
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Finding the Money: Where Are You Vis-á-vis Garmin (GRMN)
GRMN is offering an attractive opportunity for either put sellers or call buyers.4/8/08
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When Options Investors Come Knockin', Network Appliance (NTAP) Starts Rockin'
It's time to tap some of the profit opportunity in NTAP. 4/7/08
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Fly Like an Eagle -- Petrohawk Energy (HK)
HK's stock and options are heating up for the indpendent oil and gas company. 4/4/08
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Sweet or Sour? Time To Put A Fork In It -- Nuance Communications (NUAN)
The heat is on NUAN and this dish looks like it is done. 4/3/08
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Unusual rumblings under an usually quiet giant -- Rohm & Haas (ROH)
It might be a hedge or an outright downside bet, but big option players are bearish about ROH. 4/3/08
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Is the Agere integration finally going to show something positive ... for LSI's stock?
Buyers are 'chipping' away at LSI call options today. 4/2/08
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The Negotiator May Get Zapped -- Priceline.com (PCLN) Takes a Trip Down?
Bearish buying in spot-month PCLN options suggests a quick fall could be in store. 4/2/08
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Going Somewhere? Expedia (EXPE) Looks Like it is Going North
Bullish buying in EXPE suggests this online travel company is going places. 4/1/08
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Tearing it up on April Fools'? Altera Corp. (ALTR)
Is heavy call buying in ALTR a bet on a good quarter, a hedge or simply someone playing a washed-out group? 4/1/08
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Rent, Don't Own -- Apartment Investment & Management Co. (AIV)
Big call buyers are betting on AIV as a way to say it's better to rent housing than to own. 3/31/08
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Trying to make sense of Websense (WBSN) option activity
WBSN option trading is showing a strong bearish bias. 3/28/08
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Apollo Group (APOL) Update
Put-buyers pointed us to a slide in APOL, and their bet paid off. 3/28/08
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Spring break? Things may be heating up in Tampa -- TECO Energy (TE)
Unusual call buying is going on in TE. 3/27/08
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A poisoned arrow? -- Arrow Electronics (ARW)
Big-money investors are buying ARW April puts. 3/26/08
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Bryan Perry
Create Options 'Basket' Profits in 4 Steps
Basket trades are an amazing way to make profits, whether you're a swing trader going for the quick gains or an options trader looking to leverage those moves for up to 10 times the gains.
The start of summer means a surge in fuel and energy costs; Bryan Perry takes you along your path to summertime profits.
The best part of doing your homework and picking the names with the best potential is that, if any of them don't live up to your expectations, you can cut them loose.
You don't have to buy the same number of contracts with every options trade you make, especially when trading the options of higher-dollar stocks.
Choose the Right Options Broker
All brokerages are not created equal, so make sure that you're putting your options-trading account in the right hands.
