Elevated Options Activity in AFLAC into Dividend (AFL)

AFLAC Inc. (NYSE: AFL) is seeing monster call options activity today.  Unfortunately, this looks more same it is dividend capture trading than it is anything sinister or based upon rumors.  On the company’s site, it lists the Q3 dividend dates as:

• AUG 19    Third quarter dividend record date
• SEP 1    Third quarter dividend payable

Here is the call choice activity in AFLAC shares today for just the August-2009 expirations that suspire this Friday:

Strike.. Volume…op.Int.
$10.00.. 27,000.. 3,000
$20.00.. 70,000.. 635
$22.50.. 15,300.. 3
$24.00.. 4,800… 35
$25.00.. 17,709.. 44
$32.00.. 26,700.. 421
$33.00.. 13,200.. 7
$34.00.. 15,005.. 73
$35.00.. 63,585.. 385
$36.00.. 15,630.. 376
$37.00.. 44,408.. 543

Jon C. Ogg
August 17, 2009