T. Row Price Calls Trading Heavily

Today’s tickers: TROW, BDK, EWZ, AMZN, PLD, MON, POT, XLF & WFC TROW T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. – Shares of the financial services company have risen by 6% to $29.01 amid broad market gains for financials. TROW appeared on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner after one investor sold 16,300 calls at the July 35 strike price for a premium of 1.90. This trade was enacted for one of two plausible reasons. It could be pure naked selling in which case the investor takes in the 1.90 premium afforded by today’s 6% increase in the underlying share price. The trader is then left short 16,300 calls which he would need to buy back at some point in the future before expiration. Another explanation could be that this trade is a covered call. If this is the case, the investor purchased shares of the underlying stock and sold the calls to create an exit strategy. If shares were to rise through $35.00 by expiration this investor would enjoy the 1.90 in premium plus an additional 20% gain on shares of the underlying. BDK The Black & Decker Corporation – Shares of the global manufacturer and marketer of power tools and home improvement goods have increased by more than 5% to $32.20. Shares are gaining amid improvements in other durable goods companies today as well as on the coattails of news regarding BDK’s increasingly large debt offering. The company has upped the size of the offering to $350 million from the previously announced $250 million, according to one news source. Option traders responded by picking up calls in the April and May contracts. At the April 35 strike price some 5,400 calls were scooped up for an average premium of 70 cents. Reflecting even more optimism, investors looked to the May 40 strike where over 2,100 calls were bought for an average of 66 cents apiece. Investors seem to be looking for BDK to put the $350 million in borrowed funds to good use in the hopes that such action will spur shares to continue to move higher. EWZ iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund – The Brazil ETF has added more than 2% to its share price today and currently stands at $38.12. A butterfly spread established in the near-term April contract caught our attention. The investor constructed the butterfly by purchasing the wings and selling the body. At the April 40 strike price 10,000…