iBankCoin
Home / 2012 / February (page 39)

Monthly Archives: February 2012

Most Active Options Trades

-CALLS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
AMLN       4/21/12          24.0000       11065            0.3300      dn 0.0400 
AMLN       4/21/12          21.0000       10965            0.9100      up 0.0900 
ATVI       2/18/12          13.0000        4512            0.0100      up 0.0000 
X          7/21/12          28.0000        3195            3.7100      dn 0.6900 
ATVI       5/19/12          14.0000        2570            0.1300      dn 0.0200 
ATVI       3/17/12          13.0000        2570            0.1200      up 0.0000 
AAPL       2/18/12         505.0000        2285            5.0900      up 0.2400 
C          4/21/12          40.0000        1930            0.1700      dn 0.0600 
BAC        2/18/12           8.0000        1767            0.1700      dn 0.1600 
BAC        3/17/12           9.0000        1754            0.1200      dn 0.0500 

 -PUTS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
STEC       2/18/12          10.0000        2990            0.0500      dn 0.0300 
STEC       3/17/12          10.0000        2967            0.8200      up 0.0600 
BAC        3/17/12           8.0000        2910            0.4300      up 0.1000 
BAC        2/18/12           8.0000        2361            0.1500      up 0.0800 
BAC        1/19/13           5.0000        2000            0.3700      up 0.0200 
C          2/18/12          33.0000        1343            1.1900      up 0.6700 
ESRX       2/18/12          50.0000        1247            0.5000      dn 0.3600 
SVU        4/21/12           6.0000        1198            0.3000      up 0.0400 
AAPL       2/18/12         500.0000        1092            4.0500      dn 0.7500 
SNDK       3/17/12          45.0000        1040            1.1100      up 0.0400 

 -VOLUME- 
 CALLS      PUTS           TOTAL 
337660    279870        617530
-CALLS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
HAL        2/18/12          37.0000        1000            0.1500      dn 0.0700 
AAPL       2/18/12         510.0000         425            3.4000      up 0.2000 
BAC        2/18/12           8.0000         384            0.1700      dn 0.1500 
RIMM       2/18/12          14.0000         350            0.9300      dn 0.1100 
UTX        2/18/12          85.0000         300            0.3300      dn 0.2400 
AAPL       2/18/12         515.0000         258            2.1000      up 0.0900 
ACI        7/21/12          17.0000         257            0.5600      dn 0.0700 
AMZN       3/17/12         200.0000         245            3.9400      up 0.8400 
UPS        2/18/12          77.5000         240            0.1000      dn 0.0900 
AAPL       2/18/12         505.0000         205            5.3500      up 0.4500 

 -PUTS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
BAC        3/17/12           8.0000         444            0.3800      up 0.0600 
UTX        2/18/12          82.5000         300            0.2700      up 0.0500 
AAPL       2/18/12         500.0000         157            4.0500      dn 0.6500 
AAPL       3/17/12         500.0000         145           15.8300      dn 0.1700 
AAPL       2/18/12         485.0000         119            0.8000      dn 0.0900 
AAPL       3/17/12         495.0000          95           14.1300      up 0.3300 
DE         3/17/12          87.5000          84            2.2100      dn 0.2100 
GLD        2/18/12         161.0000          75            0.0700      dn 0.0200 
AAPL       2/18/12         490.0000          64            1.3000      dn 0.2100 
AAPL       3/17/12         505.0000          63           18.2000      dn 0.5000 

 -VOLUME- 
 CALLS      PUTS           TOTAL 
18695    12693        31388

Comments »

A Glut of Zinc Hits a Twenty Year High

“The largest glut of zinc in almost two decades is threatening to curtail a rally in prices as record production expands inventories to the highest since at least 1984.

Supply will outpace demand by 539,000 metric tons, the most since 1993, according to Standard Bank Plc. Stockpiles of the metal used in brass and steel will reach 2.2 million tons, Barclays Capital estimates. Prices will drop 11 percent to $1,832 a ton this year, the median of 15 analyst and trader estimates compiled by Bloomberg shows. That may curb profit for Zug, Switzerland-based Xstrata Plc, the biggest producer.”

Full article

Comments »

Democratic and Republican Parties Have Declined to Return Campaign Donations Received From Allen Stanford

“The court-appointed receiver charged with returning money to Stanford investors obtained a federal court order last June against five Democratic and Republican campaigns. But they haven’t returned the money. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee received $950,500; the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), $238,500; the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $200,000; the Republican National Committee $128,500, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) $83,345.

The contributions to the campaign committees and candidates were given by Stanford himself, Stanford executives, and a political action committee associated with the financier.

The receiver, Ralph Janvey, is also trying to claw back money Stanford donated to individual politicians. The list of his recipients reads like a who’s who of Washington, including President Obama – who received $4,600 from Stanford in his 2008 election campaign – Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), the chairman of the NRCC, and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. Janvey is seeking these funds informally, and has not filed lawsuits.

Money has already been returned by House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. John McCain, among others. But the roughly $154,000 recovered from elected officials is a fraction of the $1.8 million still outstanding.

The $4,600 Janvey is seeking from the Obama campaign reflects only direct contributions from Allen Stanford himself. The total may be as high $31,000 when Stanford’s contributions to Obama’s other campaign committees are included, along with money from senior Stanford executives, and the Stanford Financial Group’s now defunct PAC, according to campaign financerecords and an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

“ROBS THE STORE”

The Obama campaign donated the $4,600 contribution to charity on February 18, 2009, just days after Stanford’s alleged fraud came to light. The Obama campaign officially has no comment on the matter, but a source familiar with the campaign’s thinking told Reuters that it does not intend to return the money to the receiver or Stanford investors.

Kevin Sadler, lead counsel for the Stanford receivership, condemned the failure by the Obama campaign to turn over the contributions to the receiver. He said “the money was never theirs to begin with,” so they have no more right to the money than an ordinary person who was given it from “a guy who goes into a Seven Eleven and robs the store.”

Full article

Comments »

FLASH: CARL “GIVE ME 3 SEATS ON YOUR FUCKING BOARD” ICAHN TELLS CVI TO SELL THE FUCKING COMPANY ALREADY

13-d

CVR Energy: Icahn spoke with mgmt and told them CVI would be better served if it commenced a process to put itself up for sale – amended 13D filing (26.96)
On February 13, 2012, Carl C. Icahn and other representatives spoke with Jack Lipinski, the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of CVI, and discussed the initiatives announced on February 13th. Icahn stated that they believed that shareholders would be better served if CVI commenced a process to put itself up for sale, rather than pursue the limited initiatives announced by the co. Icahn believes that CVI’s stock price does not reflect current high crack spreads. CVI is a small company with only two refineries. As a result, shareholders face an unfavorable risk reward ratio since they bear not only the risk of a decline in crack spreads, but also the risk of production interruptions which would reduce the upside from high crack spreads. Icahn expressed their belief that there are three or four possible acquirers that could benefit greatly from the synergies that could be realized from a combination with CVI and that are better positioned to hedge currently high crack spreads. Mr. Lipinski stated that he would take the Icahn’s suggestions under advisement and discuss them with his board of directors and advisors.

Comments »

U.S. Equity Preview: YGE, UCTI, SGEN, MAS, LPS, HMA, & CCC

Source

Calgon Carbon Corp. (CCC) : The Pittsburgh-based water- purification company said fourth-quarter earnings will be hurt by expenses on equipment failures.

Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA) : The operator of acute-care hospitals reported fourth-quarter earnings of 26 cents a share, excluding some items, beating the average analyst estimate of 21 cents.

Lender Processing Services Inc. (LPS) : The provider of mortgage-processing services to lenders forecast first-quarter earnings of no more than 55 cents a share, excluding some items, missing the average analyst estimate of 61 cents.

Masco Corp. (MAS) : The home improvement and building products maker reported a fourth-quarter loss from continuing operations of 9 cents a share, wider than the average analyst estimate of a loss of 2 cents.

Seattle Genetics Inc. (SGEN) : The developer of cancer drugs reported a fourth-quarter loss of 24 cents a share, beating the average analyst estimate of a loss of 29 cents.

Ultra Clean Holdings Inc. (UCTT) : The supplier of equipment to semiconductor makers said first-quarter earnings will be at least 15 cents a share, beating the average analyst estimate of 9 cents.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. (YGE) : The Chinese maker of solar-power modules agreed to buy $100 million of solar materials from DuPont Co. (DD)

Comments »

Upgrades and Downgrades This Morning

Source

Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI) Cut to Hold at Argus.
Banco Santander (NYSE: STD) Raised to Hold at Societe Generale.
Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) Cut to Neutral at Citigroup.
Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY) Cut to Neutral at Citigroup.
Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) Reiterated Buy but raised target to $140 at Argus; Started as Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BRMN) Cut to Underperform as Bear of the Day at Zacks. Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) Started as Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
CBOE Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) Cut to Neutral at Credit Suisse.
El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) Started as Hold at Deutsche Bank.
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.
Gardner Denver, Inc. (NYSE: GDI) named as Value Stock of the Day at Zacks.
General Mills (NYSE: GIS) Started as Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ) Started as Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank.
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: KMP) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank.
Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) Started as Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) Reiterated Outperform and raised target to $140 at Credit Suisse.
ProAssurance Corporation (NYSE: PRA) Raised to Outperform as Bull of the Day at Zacks.
Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) Reiterated Hold but widened out loss estimates by Argus.

Comments »

Gapping Up and Down This Morning

Gapping Up

KORS +11%, UCTT+15.4%, NSIT +11.8%, HIMX +8.9%, RAX +6.8%, YGE +5.9%, HMA +5.4%, LLNW +3.8%, TTM +3.3%, CRL +2.7%, GPRO +1.9%, FIS +1.7%,

MMC +2%, GNRC +7.8% , MGIC +4.6%, WPI +3.1%,  RGC +0.8%, PRGN +9.0%, DRYS +3.3%, FRO +2.6%, SBLK +2.5%, YOKU +5.9%, RENN +2.2%, BIDU +1.1%,

MYL +1.2%, GPS +1.8%, HFC +0.4%, KFT +0.7% ,

Gapping Down

SGEN -6.6%, ALNY -4.8%, LPS -2.8%, RJF -2.6%, BAC -0.8%,

Comments »