Unusual Option Activity 12.5.2012

[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="24556347"]

Bear Market Crash VolatilityPaper sold 1508 HFC Dec 45.5 Calls for $.45 (2.2 times usual volume) when stock was trading $43.63

Paper bought 2000 MMR May 15 Calls for $.31 (5.1 times usual volume) when the stock was trading $14.85

Paper bought 6000 CLDX Feb 4 Puts for $.175 (5.6 times usual volume) when stock was trading $5.96

Paper sold 4675 WDC Jan 37 Calls for $.99 (5.2 times usual volume) when stock was trading $.99

Paper bought 1893 EXAS April 7 Puts for $.75 (7.5 times usual volume) when stock was trading $9.76

The Netflix Report 12.5.12

[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="24556347"]

Starting back in the beginning of February we saw a top at $133.43, and since then we have seen a 35% decline. As we slowly made our way down to the lows, the MACD seemed to find a bottom and started to show a change of momentum. This lines up nice with the 5 waves printed off the highs and gives me more confidence going forward to see the $100 mark.

If you look at the beginning of the month for August, September, and October we saw a triple bottom where the price action bounced off of $52. You rarely will see this if bears are in control…

Since then, Netflix has been trading within a nice channel that seems to be currently working on its wave (v) of 3. This is a big moment for the bulls to step up and hold the support lines. The first big one is the $75 region and the second line of defense is $68-$70. If these can hold on the next pullback, then the bulls have only one more obstacle to overcome. There is gap resistance right up ahead starting at $90.60, and ending at the big $100 mark.

In the next month going forward, I expect Netflix to complete its wave 3 targeting the $108 region, before we see a bigger pullback in the movie monster.

Why AAPL Will Rebound to 700? 12.5.12

[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="24556347"]

The iPad, and the different variations of it, has proven to be yet another AAPL product that has created frenzy amongst consumers. Sameer Singh, an analyst from Finvista Advisors, has projected that AAPL will ship between 24 to 26 million iPads during this quarter.

The iPod lineup recently received a makeover from AAPL, which made the new devices available September 12th, 2012. The list of upgrades includes a new 4 inch Retina display for the iPod touch, a redesigned iPod Nano with Bluetooth technology, and voiceover capabilities for the shuffle. AAPL announced October 21st, that sales of the new and improved iPods had exceeded 3 million units.

Since reaching the September high, AAPL’s shares have lost nearly $130.00 in value. AAPL shares closed at $575.85 on Tuesday, December 4, 2012. This loss in share value is typical of AAPL. Once the initial buzz of a newly released product dies down, investors start to wonder if AAPL has anything else left in their pipeline. This is when the sustainability of AAPL’s stock starts to generate fear on Wall Street. The chart below displays AAPL’s stock history vs. different product release dates.

Despite the loss in share price, AAPL has always beaten the odds by unveiling new technology, thus setting the trend within the industry. Even with the dips in its share price, AAPL has continued to grow and set new benchmarks. During a conference call with analysts, AAPL’s CEO, Tim Cook, responded to their concerns stating, “We’ve seen, again and again throughout the years, that…these type of periods are where we distanced ourselves further from people that don’t innovate, and it increases the gap between us, and so that’s what we’re focused on.” Year after year AAPL has wowed consumers with new products, each more revolutionary than the last.  AAPL, using its impeccable marketing strategies, creates hype around its next product, driving AAPL’s share value higher. Through innovation and an established brand loyalty, AAPL will bounce back to the $700 level.

Chart provided by OVM Group LLC

Author: Tyler Sciortino

Current Student at Roosevelt University, Majoring in Finance.

Contact for questions or inquiries at tsciortino@mail.roosevelt.edu

21

 

 

What's a Better Buy: Facebook or LinkedIn 12.4.12

[shareaholic app="share_buttons" id="24556347"]

 Fundamentals: Facebook has over a billion users compared to Linkedin’s 100 million users, but Linkedin is a site used by professionals so they have far different user experience expectations.  

Facebook takes in most of its revenue from advertising specifically using the sidebar like its advertising competitor google. More recently they have expanded to put some ads in the newsfeed but the problem they occur is if they put too many ads in the news feed their customer base becomes unhappy with the experience and less people are likely to click.

Linkedin does do some sidebar advertising but has expanded its revenue stream by selling premium memberships to customers and charging companies to recruit future employees on their site.

Because Facebook does not charge users a dime for using the site that does open the door for all sorts of potential.  Even finding a way to get $5-10 per user would do a lot to facebook’s top and bottom lines. Linkedin’s growth might be capped at becoming the premier site for job hiring.

 

Now lets take a quick look at valuations:

With this is mind one would have to say FB is the better buy because you are getting a much PE ratio for a sales growth percentage that is still very respectable.

Technicals: Both Facebook and Linkedin are coming up in overbought territory on the RSI indicator.  FB has show buyers will come in heavy in the $18.50-$20 range.  It should encounter some resistance in the $29 range.  However you are about to get the 50 day SMA crossing above the 100 day positively which could be viewed as a buy signal to some. In my opinion I feel that FB could be bought on dips after the RSI gets worked off into neutral territory.

Linkedin has recently crossed back above the the 200 day moving average and is consolidating here as it is overbought on most indicators.  This is a great sign if you bought the stock on that cross over because you get the feeling it is just waiting to take off back above both the 50 and 100 day moving averages.  LNKD could be bought on a breakout of above average volume of that 50 day with an upside target of first $112 and then then $122-124 range.

 



Conclusion: Since technically they both could be seen as buys in the the short to intermediate term, I will use the fundamental story of FB to break the tie and be a buyer of the dips in Facebook.

 

Disclaimer: Currently I am not long FB or LNKD

 

Bio: Zachary Teller has a degree in Finance from the University of Connecticut. Zachary has 8 years of equity trading experience.  His trading approach is largely technical but refers to fundamentals regularly to get a gauge on the markets as a whole. Feedback is always appreciated.

 

Email: zachary.teller1@gmail.com

Twitter: @zachteller16