A trader bought 2,940 TC Mar 3 Puts for $0.40 (5.7 times usual volume) with stock at $3.79
We define unusual option activity as large block trades that represent a large percentage of daily option volume. The block trade is considered “unusual” if the option volume is above the average daily volume over the past 22 days. At KeeneOnTheMarket.com we scan and analyze order flow from all of the major options exchanges in order to identify any unusual option activity.
Analyzing unusual order flow gives traders a window into what the positions that large institutional players have. The majority of unusual option activity can be traced back to hedge funds, mutual funds, and other large institutions. Knowing where these institutions are placing their bets can be hugely advantageous for any trader. These institutions have informational and technological advantages that the average trader doesn’t have, and the amount of time and analysis that goes into every one of their trades is substantial. We offer this service through our 7 hour daily LIVE trading room http://bit.ly/135QWt8 or through Premium Twitter feed with all entries, exits, and unusual options activity tweeted all day long: http://bit.ly/11f0L9u .
Order flow can however at times be deceiving. One might logically thing that a large block buyer of calls is bullish on the underlying. This is not always the case. Remember that a large number of participants in the equity options market are hedgers. Long calls are a hedge against short stock, and long puts are a hedge against long stock. With this in mind we have developed a 7 step trading plan that helps filter out unusual option activity that will not provide actionable trade setups. It is by using this plan that we are able to identify the most significant unusual options activity trades every day.
We define unusual option activity as large block trades that represent a large percentage of daily option volume. The block trade is considered “unusual” if the option volume is above the average daily volume over the past 22 days. At KeeneOnTheMarket.com we scan and analyze order flow from all of the major options exchanges in order to identify any unusual option activity.
Analyzing unusual order flow gives traders a window into what the positions that large institutional players have. The majority of unusual option activity can be traced back to hedge funds, mutual funds, and other large institutions. Knowing where these institutions are placing their bets can be hugely advantageous for any trader. These institutions have informational and technological advantages that the average trader doesn’t have, and the amount of time and analysis that goes into every one of their trades is substantial. We offer this service through our 7 hour daily LIVE trading room http://bit.ly/135QWt8 or through Premium Twitter feed with all entries, exits, and unusual options activity tweeted all day long: http://bit.ly/11f0L9u .
Order flow can however at times be deceiving. One might logically thing that a large block buyer of calls is bullish on the underlying. This is not always the case. Remember that a large number of participants in the equity options market are hedgers. Long calls are a hedge against short stock, and long puts are a hedge against long stock. With this in mind we have developed a 7 step trading plan that helps filter out unusual option activity that will not provide actionable trade setups. It is by using this plan that we are able to identify the most significant unusual options activity trades every day.
AT&T Inc (T) is a multinational telecom giant that operates wireless, wireline, and other communications businesses. The stock is currently trading around $33.75 in a 52 week range of $32.71-$39.00. The stock is higher on the year by only 0.065 year to date and is lower by 8.37% over the past 12 months.
The stock has been weak throughout the second half of this year and the options order flow in the stock has been decidedly bearish over the past 2 weeks. Bearish order flow continued today with a large block of T Oct 31 puts being bought. A trader bought nearly 10,000 Oct T 31 puts for $0.27, paying the offer. This was an aggressive buy adding to the over 20,000 of the same contracts that have been bought over the past 2 weeks. Although the current open interest put/call ratio in T is considered neutral at 1.07 today’s trading will add to the bearish sentiment. With the large amount of bearish order flow we believe that T sets up well for a short position.
Trade:
Short Stock: $33.74
Target #1: $33.21
Target #2: $32.71
STOP: $34.78
Fourth quarter projections show emerging economies will only outperform those of developed nations by only 2.8 percent. in the previous decade, this number was 4.6 points, no doubt buoyed by the 7 point outperform margin of emerging versus developed seen in 2009. Why is this? One reason is the decline we have witnessed in corporate earnings (compared to an increase for more developed nations).
International unrest, like that seen in Syria and Egypt, doesn’t bode well for emerging markets either. Emerging market growth is largely seen in the Materials, IT, Energy, and Telecom sectors, which can be more vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations in crude, natural gas, copper, to name a few.
The Trade:
Short EEM at $38.80
Stop Loss: $40.40
Target #1: $37.97
Target #2: $37.21
Target #3: $36.21
We define unusual option activity as large block trades that represent a large percentage of daily option volume. The block trade is considered “unusual” if the option volume is above the average daily volume over the past 22 days. At KeeneOnTheMarket.com we scan and analyze order flow from all of the major options exchanges in order to identify any unusual option activity.
Analyzing unusual order flow gives traders a window into what the positions that large institutional players have. The majority of unusual option activity can be traced back to hedge funds, mutual funds, and other large institutions. Knowing where these institutions are placing their bets can be hugely advantageous for any trader. These institutions have informational and technological advantages that the average trader doesn’t have, and the amount of time and analysis that goes into every one of their trades is substantial. We offer this service through our 7 hour daily LIVE trading room http://bit.ly/135QWt8 or through Premium Twitter feed with all entries, exits, and unusual options activity tweeted all day long: http://bit.ly/11f0L9u .
Order flow can however at times be deceiving. One might logically thing that a large block buyer of calls is bullish on the underlying. This is not always the case. Remember that a large number of participants in the equity options market are hedgers. Long calls are a hedge against short stock, and long puts are a hedge against long stock. With this in mind we have developed a 7 step trading plan that helps filter out unusual option activity that will not provide actionable trade setups. It is by using this plan that we are able to identify the most significant unusual options activity trades every day.