Investors pushed up call option prices in the medical instruments and supplies industry and pushed up put option prices in the diversified utilities industry Wednesday.

Any time the volatility skews above 1.00, it is an indication that calls are more expensive than puts. Typically, when calls are more expensive than puts, it means the demand for calls is greater than the demand for puts because investors believe the stock is going to rise in the future and they want to take advantage of that movement by buying calls.

The opposite is also true. Any time a volatility skews below 1.00, it is an indication that puts are more expensive than calls.

Continue reading PerkinElmer Leads Bullish Volatility Skews; Wisconsin Energy Leads Bearish

PerkinElmer Leads Bullish Volatility Skews; Wisconsin Energy Leads Bearish originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"In the current volatile market, you can't go wrong by making your portfolio more defensive," says Glenn Rogers, who notes he has been "on the hunt for stocks that are fairly bulletproof."

One such stock, according to the analyst with Internet Wealth Builder, is Diageo PLC (NYSE: DEO). He says, ""London-based Diageo is the largest international manufacturer and distributor in the beverage alcohol industry, which is virtually recession-proof."

Many of its brands, he notes, will be immediately recognizable: Smirnoff, Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Bushmills, J&B Scotch, and our own Crown Royal. In fact, he observes, 17 of the company's brands are among the top 100 premium spirit brands in the world.

Rogers explains, "Its strategy is to drive organic growth by taking leadership positions in every category in which it competes. The company also looks to exploit opportunities for growth in such key emerging markets as China, India, Russia, and Brazil."

Continue reading Diageo (DEO) and Dentsply (XRAY): 'Bulletproof' buys

Diageo (DEO) and Dentsply (XRAY): 'Bulletproof' buys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.