>>> US Unusual Options Activity

Unusual Options Activity
Bullish Call Activity:
  • DKS Jan 53 calls are seeing interest with the underlying stock trading higher by 10% following reports suggesting company could go private (volume: 2050, open int: 1370, implied vol: ~40%, prev day implied vol: 7%) -- Bloomberg M&A column also discussed DKS as LBO target on Jan 5 (see 1/5 5:48).  Co reported earnings in November.
  • ANF Jan 29.5 calls are seeing interest with strength in the retail sector following upside JC Penney guidance/sales (volume: 3340, open int: 250, implied vol: ~52%, prev day implied vol: 50%)    -- one 3K transaction traded at 0.91 with a 0.78/0.92 bid/ask spread. Many retailers are expected to report holiday sales results over the next few weeks (ANF provided update early Jan last year)-- several with December comps this week on Thursday January 8 before the open. 
Bearish Put Activity:
  • CNAT Jan 10 puts are seeing interest with the underlying stock trading lower by 7% ahead of Phase 2 results for acute-on-chronic liver failure trial out January 8 after the close  (volume: 5100, open int: 160, implied vol: ~350%, prev day implied vol: 297%)  -- one transaction of ~3650 contracts traded at 2.60 with a 2.00/2.80 bid/ask spread. Co reported earnings in November.
  • RDN Jan 16 puts  are seeing interest with the underlying stock trading lower by 5% following delinquency data and reports of FHA premium cut (volume: 5350, open int: 620, implied vol: ~49%, prev day implied vol: 36%)   -- co is expected to report earnings early February.
  • HRB Feb 31 puts (volume: 2000, open int: 0, implied vol: ~27%, prev day implied vol: 25%)  -- one 2K contract transaction on the offer. Co reported earnings early December and is expected to report its next quarter early March.
Other Notable Options Activity:
  • SPY Feb 215 calls are active ahead of non farm payrolls report Friday January 9 at 8:30 ET with 92.2K contracts trading vs. open int of 50.6K, pushing implied vol down less than 1 pt to ~12% -- one transaction of ~55.9K contracts traded on the offer. 
Sentiment: The CBOE Put/Call ratio is currently: 1.00... VIX: (19.53, -1.59, -7.4%).
January 16 is options expiration -- the last day to trade January equity options.