Today’s tickers: EXPR, MS & WAG
EXPR - Express, Inc. – Shares in clothing and accessories retailer, Express, Inc., are soaring on Tuesday, popping more than 21% to $17.03 during the first half of the session, after the company raised its forecast for fourth-quarter and full-year 2012 earnings and sales. Options on Express are more active than usual today, with volume approaching 13,000 contracts as of 10:55 a.m. ET versus the stock’s average daily options volume of around 3,800 contracts. Trading traffic is more heavily concentrated in near-term call options. Bullish players positioning for shares in Express to extend gains snapped up around 500 calls at the Jan. $17.5 strike for an average premium of $0.22 apiece in the early going. Traders long the calls stand ready to profit at expiration this week should shares in the retailer rally another 4% over today’s high of $17.03 to top the average breakeven price of $17.72. Like-minded strategists picked up roughly 575 calls out at the Feb. $17.5 strike for an average premium of $0.59 per contract, and may profit at expiration next month if EXPR shares settle above $18.09, the highest price since July 2012. Options traders long upside calls on Express ahead of the sharp move in the price of the underlying today are seeing strong gains in the value of some of those contracts. Call open interest on the retailer is greatest at the Jan. $15 strike, with 17,609 open contracts as of today. Time and sales data from December 31, 2012, through the end of trading yesterday on the Jan. $15 strike call options suggests most of the contracts were purchased for an average premium of $0.44 apiece. The sharp rally in Express shares today now finds premium on the $15 strike calls has more than quadrupled versus the average premium paid for the contracts during the prior 10 trading sessions. Express, Inc. is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings in March.
MS - Morgan Stanley – Shares in the financial services firm, up better than 60% during the past six months, rose 1.4% to…
This article will become free after 48 hours (see below for free content). To read the rest of this article now, along with Phil's live intra-day comments, live trading ideas, Phil's market calls, additional member comments, and other members-only features - Subscribe to Phil's Stock World by clicking here.
