Unusual Options Activity Review: Thursday

Unusual Options Volume Movers:

Microsoft (MSFT) options volume was running three times the usual on Thursday, with 407,000 contracts traded and call volume representing 51 percent of the activity.

General Electric (GE) options volume was running at four times the average daily on Thursday, with 703,000 contracts traded and put volume accounting for 61 percent of today's volume.

Apple Computer (AAPL) options volume was two times the usual on Thursday, with 376,000 contracts traded and call volume representing about 53 percent of the activity.

Unusual volume (two times or more than normal average volume) was also being seen in Potash (POT), Google (GOOG), and Qualcomm (QCOM).

Comments

[Robert Wein...:]

Not a big surprise with GE earnings about to come out in about 12 mins from the time I write this.

I been writting puts for Feb and Mar as I feel it doesnt matter what they report the stock will go up. There just isnt any other AAA stocks with such a wonderful PE and dividend even if it both get cut in half.

GE is a great company and in the next few months there will be a lot of people wishing they didn't panic out of their stock.

This says a lot that I am bullish with GE as I am NOT a value investor and short over 95% of my trades / investments.

Jan 23 08:22 AM

[legmaker:]

I concur that GE is a great company, it is just difficult to decifer how much their financial division will drag them down. The nice thing is their other units are doing so well and generating so much cash that they should be able to write down much faster than other groups. Look for this company to take off since their write downs will happen faster and the second reason is they will be able to take additional market share in the financial arena before this is done, expanding the company.


On Jan 23 08:22 AM Robert Weinstein wrote:

> Not a big surprise with GE earnings about to come out in about 12
> mins from the time I write this.
>
> I been writting puts for Feb and Mar as I feel it doesnt matter what
> they report the stock will go up. There just isnt any other AAA stocks
> with such a wonderful PE and dividend even if it both get cut in
> half.
>
> GE is a great company and in the next few months there will be a
> lot of people wishing they didn't panic out of their stock.
>
> This says a lot that I am bullish with GE as I am NOT a value investor
> and short over 95% of my trades / investments.

Jan 23 08:33 AM

[xom-only:]

some commentary is needed telling what the option action is portending.

Jan 24 07:27 AM