Bookseller Barnes & Noble (BKS) is slated to take its turn in the earnings spotlight before the opening bell Tuesday, Aug. 24. It's not exactly business as usual for Barnes & Noble, though -- with a proxy battle waging between Chairman Leonard Riggio and activist investor Ron Burkle, there's going to be an unusually harsh media glare on the quarterly results.

Of course, it's not just the financial media who will be eager to get a glimpse at Barnes & Noble's performance. Investors will also be chomping at the bit ahead of the firm's annual meeting, because Burkle has proposed a slate of three nominees for the retailer's board, and Riggio's seat is among those up for reelection. As Reuters' Phil Wahba explained it on Friday, "the extent of the damage is likely to affect who shareholders vote for at next month's annual meeting."

Continue reading Pressure's On Ahead of Earnings from Barnes & Noble

Pressure's On Ahead of Earnings from Barnes & Noble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've been watching the market at all during the past month, you probably know that "volatility" is the prevailing theme. With uncertainty on the rise among investors, one option strategist on Thursday initiated a directionally neutral bullish volatility spread on coal concern Peabody Energy (BTU).

Specifically, the trader bought to open a block of 5,000 July 41 calls, and simultaneously bought to open an equivalent number of July 38 puts. BTU was trading just shy of $40 at the time these transactions occurred, placing both options out of the money. In other words, this appears to be the initiation of a long strangle on the stock.

Continue reading Betting on Volatility with a Peabody Energy Strangle

Betting on Volatility with a Peabody Energy Strangle originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week's ratification of the Durbin Amendment by U.S. lawmakers seemed to put Visa (V) on edge, with the credit card company now facing the prospect of curtailed interchange fees. (Of course, the firm's written statement cited concerns about potential harm to consumers -- a nice touch.)

So, with the forecast looking gloomy on the home front, perhaps it's no surprise that Visa is now trying to woo another major world power. According to Japan's The Nikkei, Visa "will urge the Japanese government to use credit cards for all of its purchases, from stationery items to parts for fighter jets, saying it would save the country a lot of money."

Continue reading Visa Execs Launch Full-Court Press on Japanese Government

Visa Execs Launch Full-Court Press on Japanese Government originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 May 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hartford Financial Services (NYSE: HIG) is scheduled to step into the earnings spotlight right after Tuesday's closing bell, with the insurance issue releasing its final third-quarter figures. Analysts are expecting Hartford to report a profit of $1.11 per share, according to Thomson Reuters, representing a dramatic reversal from its year-ago loss of $1.40 per share.

Hartford has a mixed history on the earnings front, with the company exceeding consensus expectations in two of the previous four reporting periods -- and falling short of Wall Street's predictions during the other two quarters. On the plus side, sector peer Lincoln National (NYSE: LNC) recently released a stronger-than-expected third-quarter report, which could bode well for Hartford.

Continue reading Hartford Financial: Volatility high ahead of Q3 report

Hartford Financial: Volatility high ahead of Q3 report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Bullish options activity ahead of Nike earnings

Bullish options activity ahead of Nike earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is preparing for its upcoming turn in the earnings spotlight. The firm is scheduled to unveil its fiscal third-quarter results before the market opens Thursday, Sept. 17.

Ahead of the event, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are expecting Discover to swallow a loss of about 12 cents per share, down sharply from its year-ago profit of 37 cents per share. Sales for the period are expected to arrive at $743 million.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Can Discover Financial Services beat again in 3Q?

Earnings preview: Can Discover Financial Services beat again in 3Q? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earnings season is winding down, but there is still some excitement left for earnings-confessional spectators. Up tomorrow ahead of the opening bell is Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE), manufacturer of agricultural machinery.

Analysts are expecting per-share results of 57 cents, which represents a drop of 57% from the $1.32 banked in the year-earlier period. Year-over-year quarterly revenue growth, however, has not endured quite as dramatic a fall, slipping 16.7%.

Continue reading A look at Deere & Co. ahead of earnings

A look at Deere & Co. ahead of earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In order to acclimate to this new, post-"too big to fail" era of banking, Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) is reportedly planning to close down some branches. However, the blue chip bank doesn't intend to shut down 10% of its branches, as reported earlier. Instead, said company spokesman James Mahoney, the size of the network "will come down modestly" in size during the next three- to five-year period.

At the end of June, BAC boasted 6,109 branches throughout the U.S., second only to Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC). Mahoney clarified that the bank is not being pressured by regulators to reduce its scope, and it will continue to add new branches strategically, even as it shutters some outlets.

Continue reading Bank of America lures call traders with branch closing plans

Bank of America lures call traders with branch closing plans originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Only two and half of the next six days will be trading days. The time value of an option's premium, which the option holder has "purchased" when paying for the option, decreases with the passage of time. With the market closed in three and half of the next six days, long option premium positions have less time to move to a profitable outcome.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options - VIX at 44.56; 10-day moving average is 52.04.

Volatility Index NASDAQ 100 - VXN at 41.90; 10-day moving average is 49.87.

NASDAQ 100 - QQQQ overall implied volatility at 44; 26-week average is 46 according to Track Data.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Long premium options decay during holiday resulting in lower volatility originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Solarfun Power (NASDAQ: SOLF) is scheduled to report Q1 EPS on May 21.

SOLF, a manufacturer of PV cells and PV modules, closed at $22.84 Friday.

SOLF June option call implied volatility is at 123, puts are at 134; above its 26-week average of 96 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risk.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option Update: Solarfun Power volatility up into EPS & outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 May 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) closed at $42.27 Thursday.

BBY is scheduled to report Q4 EPS on April 2.

RBC Capital says: "Lowering estimates; remain concerned about broader consumer spending picture."

BBY April option implied volatility of 50 is above its 26-week average of 38 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option Update: Best Buy volatility elevated at 50 into EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) closed at $41.18. Wachovia Securities says, "MER is the riskiest of the remaining monocline banks. MER had gross sub-prime CDO exposure of $30.4 billion, 3.3x the group average. MER also had the worst liquidity ratio at 52%." MER April option implied volatility of 107 is above its 26-week average of 45 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk. MER implied volatility is near a level attained in October of 1987.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option Update: Merrill Lynch April volatility elevated at 107; shares near five-year low originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA), an owner and franchisor of 1,115 bakery-cafes, is recently up $2.28 to $45.40.

• PNRA reported that third quarter revenue increased 35% to $276 million compared to the year ago period.
  
• Bear Stearns says: "Sales in line; guidance narrowed up versus consensus."
  
• PNRA overall option implied volatility of 37 is above its 26-week average of 34 according to Track Data, suggesting slightly larger price risks.

JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM), a global financial holding company, closed at $46.78.

• Bloomberg reported: "China may prevent foreign investors from taking control of domestic brokerages, a setback to Wall Street's ambitions to tap the world's fastest-growing stock market, people familiar with the planned rules said."
• JPM is expected to report EPS on 10/17.
  
• JPM October option implied volatility of 30 is above its 26-week average of 26 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: Adjusting positions in Panera Bread (PNRA) and JP Morgan (JPM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

XOM closed at $91.76. Crude oil futures were up 0.79% to $82.15 according to Bloomberg. XOM overall option implied volatility of 26 is near its 26-week average of 24 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price fluctuations.

Chevron (NYSE: CVX) implied volatility near average as oil trades above $82.

CVX is an integrated energy company with a market cap of $198 billion and quarterly June 2007 revenue of $56 billion. CVX closed at $93.34. Crude oil futures are up 0.79% to $82.15 according to Bloomberg. CVX overall option implied volatility of 25 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional risks.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: ExxonMobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) volatility flat as oil trades above $82 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: TRMP) calls active at higher volatility on renewed chatter:

TRMP was recently up 39 cents to $7.06 on renewed and unconfirmed takeover chatter. TRMP announced on July 2nd that its board of directors ended talks with potential acquirers. TRMP call option volume of 1,439 contracts compared to put volume of 219 contracts. TRMP September option implied volatility off 97 was above its 26-week average of 56 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

ConAgra (NYSE: CAG) October implied volatility elevated at 31 into earnings per share (EPS) announcement:

CAG confirmed previously issued EPS and sales for 2008 on Septebmer 6th. CAG is expected to report EPS in late September. CAG announced on September 5th that it would remove the flavoring chemical diacetyl in the manufacturing of its microwave popcorn. CAG call option volume of 6,815 contracts compared to put volume of 8,182 contracts. CAG October option implied volatility of 31 was above its 26-week average of 20, according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update 9-10-07; Trump Entertainment calls active at higher volatility on renewed chatter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE: BTU) -- volume and volatility increases on renewed buyout chatter. BTU, the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2006 sales of 248 million tons and $5.3 billion in revenues, is recently up $2.30 to $45.60 on unconfirmed and renewed buyout chatter. BTU's CEO Greg Boyce presented at the Lehman Brothers CEO Energy/Power Conference in New York City today. BTU call option volume of 8,070 contracts compares to put volume of 9,128 contracts. BTU September option implied volatility of 39 is above its 26-week average of 36 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

Massey Energy Corp. (NYSE: MEE) -- implied volatility of 52 is above the 26-week average of 45. MEE, the fourth largest coal company in the U.S. based on produced coal revenue, is recently up $1.44 to $22.24. MEE's Chairman & CEO Don Blankenship will present at the Lehman Brothers CEO Energy/Power Conference in New York City this afternoon.
MEE October option implied volatility of 52 is above its 26-week average of 45 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Consol Energy Inc. (NYSE: CNX) -- volatility Flat as CNX rallies on idling of mine. CNX is recently up $1.31 to $41.24. CNX announced it plans to idle its Mine 84 in Northern Appalachia because of the mine's inability to meet its targeted rate of return. Stifel Nicolaus has a Buy rating and $58 price target on CNX. STFL says, "we continue to favor CNX shares over most of its coal industry peers due to its strong coal reserve base, its favorable market position as the dominant Northern Appalachian coal miner, and its direct exposure to natural gas markets." CNX call option volume of 3,348 contracts compares to put volume of 386 contracts. CNX October option implied volatility of 41 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risks.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: Coal producers active originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO) implied volatility elevated into mid September earnings per share (EPS) and outlook: AutoZone is expected to report earnings per share on September 18. AZO management will be speaking at Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) 14th Annual Retailing Conference on September 6. AZO September option implied volatility of 36 is above its 26-week average of 25, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CSCO) implied volatility flat into September 5 analyst meeting: Cisco is recently up 40 cents to $31.83. CSCO will be holding an analyst meeting in San Jose, CA, on September 5. BAMO says, "we believe the meeting will be used to showcase CSCO's growing technology platform and emphasize the company's mantra of the network as the IT platform." CSCO September option implied volatility of 26 is near its 26-week average of 28, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional risk.

Daily options update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options update: AutoZone (AZO) volatility elevated into mid September EPS announcement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR) option volatility Elevated at 43 into 9/6 investor meeting. JNPR, a provider of internet infrastructure solutions to internet service providers and other telecommunication services providers, is recently down .04 to $32.74. JNPR will host an investor gathering in Sunnyvale, CA. on 9/6. Bank of America-BAMO says, "We don't expect any update to JNPR's financial guidance, we do expect a positive tone highlighting new growth opportunities resulting from new products and carrier NGN builds." JNPR over all option implied volatility of 43 is above its 26-week average of 36, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

Motorola (NYSE: MOT) implied volatility Flat into 9/7 investor meeting. MOT is hosting an analyst day in New York on 9/7. BAMO says, "we expect management to discuss its business strategy and market trends, and to highlight a number of new handsets." MOT over all option implied volatility of 30 is near its 26-week average, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional risk.

Daily options update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: JNPR & MOT's options suggest no surprises at investor meetings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) implied volatility up on expectations of Alibaba, Yang & EPS.

YHOO is recently trading $22.58. Recently, Alibaba.com, China's largest e-commerce company, hired NM Rothschild to advise it on a stock listing. YHOO has 40% ownership stake in Alibaba. YHOO is expected to report EPS on 10/16. YHOO over all option implied volatility of 38 is above its 26-week average of 35 according to Track Data, suggesting larger movement.

Rediff.com India Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ: REDF) volatility elevated as REDF trades near 52-week lows.

REDF, a provider of online consumer offerings, is recently up 30 cents to $15.07. REDF over all option implied volatility of 59 is above its 52-week average of 51 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update 8-29-07: Yahoo (YHOO) volatility up on expectations of Alibaba, Yang & EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) implied volatility up into expected new family of iPod launch on 9/5.

AAPL is recently up $3.03 to $129.85 in pre-open trading. Goldman Sachs says, "Buy AAPL shares as new iPods add to its product cycle story." AAPL overall option implied volatility of 45 is above its 26-week average of 41 according to Track Data, suggesting slightly larger price movement.

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) volatility at 36 as NOK introduces four devices; NOK near 6-year high.

NOK introduced four devices optimized for entertainment, music and games. NOK closed at $30.01. OPCO says, "reiterate Buy - announces attractive multimedia products." NOK over all option implied volatility of 36 is above its 26-week average of 33 according to Track Data, suggesting slightly larger price risk.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: Volatilities up into AAPL & NOK electronic devices rollouts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.