Today’s tickers: EXPE, MAS & OVTI
EXPE - Expedia, Inc. – Traders positioning for shares in the online travel site to continue to hit new highs stepped up to purchase bullish call options on Expedia this morning, with shares in the name trading up nearly 6% this morning at a new high of $60.29. Expedia shares are moving higher on Friday after the stock was raised to ‘Buy’ from ‘Hold’ with an increased target price of $68.00 at Deutsche Bank, and was rated new ‘Buy’ with a 12-month target share price of $64.00 at Cantor Fitzgerald. The stock, which has gained nearly 125% since Expedia, Inc. spun off its TripAdvisor unit last year, may have more room to run according to some options players today. Bullish strategists preparing for fresh highs in the near term purchased more than 2,000 calls at the Oct. $60 strike for an average premium of $2.23 apiece. Call buyers profit at expiration next month as long as Expedia’s shares increase another 3% to top the average breakeven price of $62.23.
MAS - Masco Corp.– A large trade in Masco Corp. put options suggests one options player may be securing downside protection on the maker of home improvement and building products, as shares in the high-flying stock tack on another 2.5% today to secure a two-year high of $16.48. The purchase of a block of 40,000 puts at the Jan. 2013 $15 strike this morning for a premium of $1.10 apiece may be the work of an investor hedging a large position in the underlying shares, possibly to lock in gains enjoyed during the stock’s impressive 150% move higher since October 2011. Alternatively, the sizable stake in MAS puts could be an outright bearish bet on the stock, initiated in an attempt to benefit from a pullback in the price of the underlying during the next four months. Profits, or downside protection, kick in if shares in Masco Corp. drop 15.7%…
