Humana Call Options Fly Off the Shelves as Shares Hit New 2-Year High

  Today’s tickers: HUM, SIGA, ALXN, CBS, REP & GAP HUM  - Humana Inc. –  Call options on the health benefits company are in high demand this afternoon with shares of the underlying stock trading higher by 3.15% to arrive at $53.85 in the final hour of the session. Shares rallied as much as 3.965% earlier today to secure a new 2-year high of $54.27. An analyst at Wedbush said earlier that health insurers may wind up reporting a better third quarter than previously forecast. Additionally, she mentioned Humana is her top pick for a health insurer that’s most likely to top Wall Street estimates in the third quarter. Humana is scheduled to report results ahead of the opening bell on November 1, 2010. Activity in November contract calls indicates one big player sees today’s rally in Humana’s shares extending through to expiration day next month, post-earnings. It looks like the bullish investor purchased 14,176 calls outright at the November $55 strike for an average premium of $1.425 per contract. The call buyer makes money if HUM’s shares rally another 4.8% over the current price of $53.85 to surpass the average breakeven point to the upside at $56.425 ahead of expiration. Options implied volatility on HUM is up 11.6% to arrive at 32.71% with 35 minutes remaining in the session. SIGA  - SIGA Technologies, Inc. –  Shares of the bio-defense company jumped 52.7% today to an all time high of $13.07 on reports the firm won a U.S. government contract worth up to $2.8 billion to supply its smallpox antiviral drug. The stock is currently up 42.75% at $12.22 heading into the close. Options traders initiated bullish stances on the stock right out of the gate this morning in order to position for continued appreciation in the price of SIGA’s shares. Investors picked up approximately 1,200 in-the-money calls at the October $12 strike for an average premium of $0.44 apiece, and are poised to profit should shares exceed $12.44 through expiration on Friday. Nearly 1,000 calls were purchased at the higher October $13 strike for an average premium of $0.20 each. Investors holding these contracts make money if SIGA’s shares rally another 8.00% over the current price of $12.22 to surpass the average breakeven point at $13.20 by October expiration. Optimism spread to the November $11 strike where another 1,135 in-the-money calls were coveted at an average premium of $1.35 per contract. These traders face an average…