YELP – Yelp! Inc. – A sizable three-legged options trade initiated on Yelp this morning appears to be looking for shares in the name to extend gains on a day when the stock rose nearly 9.0% to a new record high of $79.15 following a price target increase to $89.00 from $75.00 at JPMorgan. Shares in Yelp are up roughly 290% since this time last year.
It looks like one trader sold 3,343 of the May $60 puts at a premium of $4.34 apiece in order to partially offset the cost of buying a 3,343-lot May $85/$105 call spread for a premium of $5.64 each. The sale of the far out of the money put options reduces the net cost of the bullish position to $1.30 each. The trade starts making money if shares in Yelp rally another 9.0% over today’s high of $79.15 to exceed the effective breakeven point at $86.30 by expiration. The position could generate maximum potential profits of $18.70 per contract in the event that the price of the underlying soars 33% to $105.00 by May expiration.
As long as Yelp shares exceed $60.00 through May expiration, maximum possible losses on the trade are capped at $1.30 per contract. A stock price above $60.00 but below $85.00 at expiration would result in maximum potential losses. The sale of the May $60 puts adds additional risk in the event that shares in Yelp dip below the striking price as the trader could have the stock put to him at that price if the contracts land in the money at expiration.
