Today’s tickers: T, PAYX, LXK & THRX
T - AT&T Inc. – A large bullish position initiated in AT&T call options this morning indicates at least one strategist expects shares in the wireless provider to near their highest of the past 52 weeks. The stock rose 0.85% to $30.49 in the first half of the first trading session of 2012. Options volume on AT&T is heaviest at the Feb. $31 strike, where more than 26,000 call options changed hands against open interest of 6,174 contracts. The bulk of the volume was purchased in one block of roughly 20,400 calls at a premium of $0.26 each. The call buyer may profit at expiration next month in the event that shares in AT&T rally another 2.5% to surpass the breakeven price of $31.26. The wireless provider is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings ahead of the opening bell on January 26.
PAYX - Paychex, Inc. – A burst of call and put activity on Paychex in the first hour of trade in the New Year suggests the price of the underlying is likely to make big moves ahead of February expiration. Shares in the provider of employee benefits outsourcing solutions to small and medium sized businesses rose 1.65% to stand at $30.61 as of 11:40 AM ET. Likely the work of one investor, it appears both calls and puts were purchased on Paychex this morning in anticipation of increased volatility in the share price. It looks like the trader purchased roughly 4,000 calls at the Feb. $31 strike for an average premium of $0.62 each, and purchased around 2,650 in-the-money puts at the same strike at a premium of $1.20 apiece. The transactions were not marked as a spread or straddle, but the implications of each position are similar to those of a long straddle. The long calls…
