Implied Volatility Mover
Implied volatility in the options on Focus Media (FMCN) is moving higher amid active trading in the options on the Chinese online ad display company. FMCN is up 17 cents to $23.94 and options volume is running about double the normal for midday. 9,730 calls and 2,580 puts so far. December 25 and 26 calls are the most actives and implied volatility in FMCN options is moving up 19 percent to 57. The stock was in focus Friday on a Wall Street Journal report that private equity firm CDH was pulling out of a consortium of investors seeking to buy the company. The heightened activity today might be related to the buyout story.
Volume Signals
Walmart (WMT) options volume is running 2.5X the (22-day) average, with 67,000 contracts traded and call volume accounting for 85 percent of the volume.
Williams Companies (WMB) options volume is 2.5X, the average daily, with 48,000 contracts traded and put volume representing 78 percent of the activity.
Joy Global (JOY) options volume is running 3X the average daily, with 26,000 contracts traded and put volume accounting for 56 percent of the activity.
Increasing options activity is also being seen in JDS Uniphase (JDSU), Whirpool (WHR), and NRG.
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