Implied Volatility Mover
Implied volatility in the options on Focus Media (FMCN) is moving higher ahead of the company’s earnings release. The Chinese media company is scheduled to report results after the closing bell tomorrow. The stock is down 41 cents to $24.11 in active trading of 1.9 million shares today. Meanwhile, 5,535 calls and 4,535 puts traded on FMCN. Players are showing the most interest in the near-the-money December 24 puts and calls ahead of the news and 30-day implied volatility jumped 28.5 percent to 49.
Volume Signals
Research In Motion (RIMM) options volume is running 2X the (22-day) average, with 153,000 contracts traded and call volume accounting for 69 percent of the volume.
SPDR Utility ETF (XLU) options volume is 5X, the average daily, with 62,000 contracts traded and call volume representing 96 percent of the activity.
Zynga (ZNGA) options volume is running 1.5X the average daily, with 52,000 contracts traded and call volume accounting for 59 percent of the activity.
Increasing options activity is also being seen in Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD), NI Holdings (NIHD), and European-style S&P 100 Index (.XEO).
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