Today’s tickers: DPZ, JPM & JWN
DPZ – Domino’s Pizza, Inc. – Shares in Domino’s are bucking the trend today, rising as much as 2.2% to an all-time high of $43.74 on Thursday morning, even as most stocks decline on weaker-than-expected consumer confidence data for the month of December and the failure of U.S. lawmakers to arrive at a budget compromise. Options traders hungry for fresh highs in Domino’s Pizza shares in the first few months of the New Year snapped up call options on the name today. Bulls picked up around 100 in-the-money calls at the Jan. $43 strike for an average premium of $1.11 apiece, and purchased 70 of the higher Jan. $44 strike calls at an average premium of $0.60 each. Like-minded strategists looked to the Mar. $45 strike calls as well, buying 150 of those contracts at an average premium of $1.65 a-pop. Traders long the $45 strike calls stand ready to profit at expiration in March 2013 should shares in DPZ rally another 6.7% to top a new record high of $46.65 by expiration. The stock has gained 40% during the prior six month period. Domino’s Pizza is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings at the end of February, several weeks prior to March options expiration.
JPM – JPMorgan Chase & Co. – Options traders positioning for shares in JPMorgan Chase & Co. to rally during the first week of the New Year snapped up weekly calls on the largest U.S. bank by total assets this morning. Shares in JPM are down 1.8% this morning at $43.17, moving lower along with the broader market on disappointing consumer confidence data and concern the U.S. may go over the fiscal cliff. Traders anticipating a strong start to the New Year for shares in JPMorgan appear to have purchased more than 1,000 calls at the Jan. 04 ’13 $44 strike for an average premium of $0.52 apiece during the first 20 minutes of the trading session today. Call buyers stand ready to profit at expiration next week should shares in JPM reverse course and gain 3.1% to surpass the average breakeven price of $44.52. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings ahead of the opening bell on January 16th.
JWN – Nordstrom, Inc. – Shares in the department store operator fell as much as 2.9% the day after Christmas after data showed holiday sales were the worst since 2008, and as investors brace for the U.S. to potentially go over the fiscal cliff. Nordstrom’s shares reversed some of those losses on Thursday morning, but have since returned to negative territory, down 0.30% at $51.25 as of midday in New York trading. The stock has dropped 7.5% during the past four weeks, but some options traders are positioning for the price of the underlying to kick of 2013 in rally mode. Bullish players picked up in-the-money calls on the name this morning, buying some 1,150 calls at the Jan. $49 strike for an average premium of $3.06 apiece, and purchasing roughly 1,500 calls at the higher Jan. $50 strike for an average premium of $2.39 each. Call buyers stand ready to profit at January expiration should shares in Nordstrom climb 1.6% and 2.2% over the current price of $51.25 to top average breakeven points at $52.06 and $52.39, respectively.
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Caitlin Duffy |
