Today’s tickers: IRBT, AIG & GLW
IRBT - iRobot Corporation – Shares in the maker of home robots such as the Roomba vacuum cleaner and defense and security robots for military uses are soaring on Wednesday, up as much as 17% to touch a new 52-week high of $28.85, after the company posted first-quarter earnings and sales that exceeded analyst expectations. The sharp move in the price of the underlying sparked heavy trading traffic in iRobot options in the early going. Bullish bets initiated yesterday on iRobot prior to the company’s earnings release are generating sizable paper profits for some traders today. It looks like traders yesterday snapped up around 500 calls at the May $25 strike for an average premium of $1.35 per contract. The sharp rally in the price of the underlying overnight now finds the contracts changing hands at $3.50 apiece as of 11:40 a.m. ET. Options traders establishing near-term bullish bets on iRobot today looked to the May $30 strike and purchased around 350 calls for an average premium of $0.49 each during the first half of the trading session. Finally, buyers of downside put options yesterday prior to the earnings release saw the value of their contracts collapse overnight. More than 600 puts were purchased at the May $25 strike on Tuesday for an average premium of $1.78 per contract. Double-digit percentage gains in the share price today now finds the price tag on the $25 puts down at $0.20 each as of the time of this writing.
AIG - American International Group, Inc. – Upside call options are changing hands on American International Group, Inc. today as shares in the name rally for a second-consecutive session on speculation the insurer may resume dividend payments. Life insurer, MetLife Inc., yesterday announced it would increase its quarterly dividend for the first time since 2007. Shares in AIG are up more than 3.0% this afternoon at a new two-year high of $41.88 as of midday in New York. The company reports first-quarter earnings next Thursday.…
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