Shares In Amylin Plunge, Options Players Prep For A Rebound

November 08, 2011 at 13:29 PM EST

Today’s tickers: AMLN, XLNX, DF & NTGR AMLN - Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – Shares in the biopharmaceutical company plunged 18.1% to an intraday low of $8.95 on Tuesday on news the company ended its diabetes partnership with drug maker, Eli Lilly & Co. Options activity on Amylin Pharmaceuticals, however, suggests some strategists see the selloff as overdone, with a number of investors stepping up today to position for the price of the underlying to rebound. Near-term bulls snapped up more than 1,650 calls at the Nov. $11 strike for a premium of $0.22 apiece. Buyers of the call options profit at expiration if shares in AMLN surge 21.4% over the current traded price of $9.24 (as of 11:50 am in New York), to surpass the average breakeven price of $11.22. Optimism for an AMLN-recovery story spread to the Dec. $10 strike, where more than 5,600 call options changed hands against open interest of 270 contracts. It looks like one investor purchased the majority of these calls for an average premium of $0.85 a-pop. The strategist profits at expiration next month in the event that Amylin’s shares increase 17.4% to trade above $10.85. Longer-dated contracts are the most active in terms of volume on the drug maker so far today. One trader appears to have purchased a 5,000-lot April 2012 $10/$15 call spread for a net premium of $1.30 per contract. The call-spreader may reel in profits of up to $3.70 per contract on the position if AMLN’s shares jump 62.3% to exceed $15.00 by April expiration day. Meanwhile, the sale of 9,000 puts for a premium of $0.63 per contract at the April 2012 $6.0 strike suggests at least one investor expects the price of the underlying to exceed that level through expiration next year. The trader walks away with the premium in hand as long as the put options expire worthless at April expiration day. We note that while much of the activity in Amylin options is likely bullish, the stock was not exclusively populated with bullish players. Some of the volume generated in April 2012 contract calls looks to have been sold by traders betting against the likelihood of steep double-digit gains the shares. Additionally, light put buying the front month indicates other investors are prepared to see the stock pull back further ahead of November expiration. Options implied volatility on AMLN is up 46.7% at 85.0% just after midday…

Today’s tickers: AMLN, XLNX, DF & NTGR

AMLN - Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – Shares in the biopharmaceutical company plunged 18.1% to an intraday low of $8.95 on Tuesday on news the company ended its diabetes partnership with drug maker, Eli Lilly & Co. Options activity on Amylin Pharmaceuticals, however, suggests some strategists see the selloff as overdone, with a number of investors stepping up today to position for the price of the underlying to rebound. Near-term bulls snapped up more than 1,650 calls at the Nov. $11 strike for a premium of $0.22 apiece. Buyers of the call options profit at expiration if shares in AMLN surge 21.4% over the current traded price of $9.24 (as of 11:50 am in New York), to surpass the average breakeven price of $11.22. Optimism for an AMLN-recovery story spread to the Dec. $10 strike, where more than 5,600 call options changed hands against open interest of 270 contracts. It looks like one investor purchased the majority of these calls for an average premium of $0.85 a-pop. The strategist profits at expiration next month in the event that Amylin’s shares increase 17.4% to trade above $10.85. Longer-dated contracts are the most active in terms of volume on the drug maker so far today. One trader appears to have purchased a 5,000-lot April 2012 $10/$15 call spread for a net premium of $1.30 per contract. The call-spreader may reel in profits of up to $3.70 per contract on the position if AMLN’s shares jump 62.3% to exceed $15.00 by April expiration day. Meanwhile, the sale of 9,000 puts for a premium of $0.63 per contract at the April 2012 $6.0 strike suggests at least one investor expects the price of the underlying to exceed that level through expiration next year. The trader walks away with the premium in hand as long as the put options expire worthless at April expiration day. We note that while much of the activity in Amylin options is likely bullish, the stock was not exclusively populated with bullish players. Some of the volume generated in April 2012 contract calls looks to have been sold by traders betting against the likelihood of steep double-digit gains the shares. Additionally, light put buying the front month indicates other investors are prepared to see the stock pull back further ahead of November expiration. Options implied volatility on AMLN is up 46.7% at 85.0% just after midday…