Thursday, October 29, 2009

HGSI Stock & Options Alert (HGSI)

Human Genome Sciences, Inc.  (NASDAQ: HGSI) has been soaring today.  At 2:45 PM EST we saw this one already cross a full day’s trading volume at 120% normal stock trading volume and that options were picking up throughout the day.  This follows the JPMorgan upgrade to Overweight from Neutral ahead of new additional clinical data next week.  Our friend over at OptionsHawk.com just sent us more details on the options trading:

Human Genome (HGSI) is trading 84,000 calls and 21,000 puts on the day after an upgrade at JP Morgan before the key November 2nd Benlysta seocnd of two Phase 3 trial data for the treatment of Lupus, which would make it the leading contender in the market for a highly lucrative potential market.  Smart money has been bullish the name in recent weeks with 10,000 contract November $25/$30 call spreads and various other strategies as the common consensus is a 70% chance of the drug having a positive outcome.  Despite implied volatility being at 193%, many are still betting on volatility expecting a sharper than priced in reaction.  Today’s action represents 4X the average call volume, although only 1/4th of the action is offer side buying, but ISE Sentiment indicates 3 calls are being opened for every 1 put.  One of the larger trades today is slightly bullish but bearish on volatility as the trader used a butterfly call spread, buying 3,500 of the November $20 and $3 0 calls, and selling 7,000 of the $25 calls, expecting shares to trade around the $25 level and for Implied Volatility to be crushed. -OPTIONSHAWK.COM

-JON C. OGG


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