OSTK – Overstock.com, Inc. – Options on Overstock.com are more active than usual to kick off the trading week ahead of the company’s third-quarter earnings report prior to the opening bell on Thursday. Volume in OSTK options is currently above 1,100 contracts versus the stock’s average daily options volume of around 215 contracts. Shares in the name are off 0.70% on the session to stand at $29.05 as of 11:45 a.m. ET.
The most actively traded options contracts on the online discount retailer as measured by volume today are the Oct $35 calls, with roughly 480 lots in play against open interest of 222 contracts. Time and sales data suggests most of the volume was purchased for a premium of $0.25 each. Traders long the $35 calls stand ready to profit at expiration this week in the event that Overstock.com’s shares jump 21% over the current price of $29.05 to exceed the breakeven point at $35.25. Shares in OSTK last traded above $35.25 at the end of July.
HST – Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. – Trading in Host Hotels & Resorts put options on Monday morning indicates some traders may be bracing for shares in the name to decline ahead of expiration at the end of the week. Shares are off 0.80% today at $17.77 as of 12:25 p.m. ET.
Heavy trading in front month puts on the owner of a portfolio of luxury hotels pushed HST onto our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner during the first 30 minutes of the session, with volume in the Oct $17 puts topping 5,000 contracts versus open interest of 334 contracts. It looks like most of the Oct $17 puts were purchased at a premium of $0.10 each. Buyers of the $17 puts may profit at expiration this week if shares in Host Hotels decline 5.0% from the current price of $17.77 to breach the breakeven point on the downside at $16.90.
Overall options volume on HST is up above 6,100 contracts as of the time of this writing, well above the stock’s average daily level of 280 contracts. The company is scheduled to report third-quarter earning before the open on November 5th.
