STOCKS NEWS US-Players eye Clorox call options

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U.S. stock market report 1041 ET 06Nov2009-Clorox calls turn busy, implied vols up ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Investors appear to be picking up Clorox Co call options as its shares rose 7 cents to $59.54 and reached a high of $59.95 in morning trading.

Overall option volume was six times the average daily turnover with about 12,000 calls traded against only 304 puts so far, Trade Alert data show. Some customers bought-to-open November and December $65 calls on the International Securities Exchange in early trade, according to ISEE data, said WhatsTrading.com option strategist Frederic Ruffy.

He noted the November $60 call strikes were the most actives, with 4,700 contracts traded and 67 percent trading ask-side. The stock's average implied volatility is up to 25.5 percent, from about 24.7 percent late on Thursday.

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1023 ET 06Nov2009-Steel shares up after trade tariffs against China -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shares in U.S. steel producers rose on Friday, a day after the United States slapped preliminary anti-dumping duties as high as 99 percent on Chinese-made oil well pipe in the biggest U.S. trade action against China.

The 10-stock Dow Jones iron and steel index rose 0.6 percent, even as the broad S&P 500 fell 0.1 percent.

Shares in United States Steel Corp, which had joined other steelmakers in petitioning the Commerce Department for import curbs in April, rose 1.2 percent to $37.23.

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ET 06Nov2009-Blue Coat draws ratio put spread ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shares of Blue Coat Systems Inc fell 1.1 percent to $25.02 Friday morning, one day after the Internet-monitoring equipment maker announced a strategic plan to drive long-term revenue growth and increase operating profitability. In the options market, one player might be looking to hedge or bet against the company, said WhatsTrading.com option strategist Frederic Ruffy.

A December $22.50-$25 (2X1) put ratio spread was bought at 20 cents and traded 2,500 times in what appeared to be an opening position, Ruffy added. Overall volume was four times the average daily turnover with 8,373 puts and 759 calls traded, according to Trade Alert.

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0937 EST 06Nov2009-Markets open lower after jobs data -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


U.S. markets opened lower on Friday after data showed that the unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent in October the highest in 26-1/2 years.

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The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.5 percent to 9,951.24, while the S&P 500 lost 0.5 percent to 1,060.82, and the Nasdaq was off 0.5 percent to 2,094.51.

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0924 EST 06Nov2009-Boston Scientific reaches pact with DOJ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Boston Scientific Corp reach an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday related to product recalls issued by its Guidant subsidiary.

The company also said that it would record a third-quarter charge of $294 million.

Under the terms of the agreement, Guidant will plead to two misdemeanor charges related to failure to include information in reports to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Boston Scientific will pay $296 million on behalf of Guidant.

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Shares of Boston Scientific rose 0.5 percent to $8.10.

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0857 EST 06Nov2009-CF Industries rejects Agrium proposal -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


CF Industries Holdings Inc said on Friday its board rejected rival Agrium Inc's sweetened bid worth about $4.5 billion, arguing the proposal substantially undervalues the company.

CF has been fending-off Agrium's hostile bid since February, as it pursues its own hostile bid for smaller U.S. rival Terra Industries.

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Shares of CF fell 0.5 percent to $79.53, while U.S.-listed shares of Agrium rose 0.6 percent at $50.14. Terra shares fell 0.3 percent at $35.83.

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0841 EST 06Nov2009-Oct payrolls fall 190,000, jobless rate 10.2 pct -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


U.S. employers cut a deeper-than-expected 190,000 jobs in October, government data showed, driving the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent, the highest in 26-1/2 years.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected payrolls to drop by 175,000 and the jobless rate to edge up to 9.9 percent from 9.8 percent in September.

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Following the release of the data, futures turned negative. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 36 points while S&P 500 futures slid 5.2 points and Nasdaq 100 futures lost 6 points.

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0821 EST 06Nov2009-Bernstein upgrades GE to 'outperform' -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shares of General Electric Co rose on Friday after Bernstein upgraded the company to 'outperform' from 'market perform.'

The firm also lifted its price target on the Dow component by $1 to $19.

'In our view, the risk/reward balance has improved enough to warrant a more positive stance,' the firm wrote to clients. 'We believe the risk GE Capital poses is reduced, 2010 earnings achievability is high, and there is more upside across the company into 2011.'

Shares of GE gained 5.2 percent to $15.20 before the bell.

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0816 EST 06Nov2009-Halliburton wins Saudi Aramco South Ghawar pact -----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Halliburton Co was awarded a broad five-year oilfield service contract from Saudi Aramco to develop wells in the South Ghawar field, the world's largest oil field, the company said on Friday.

Halliburton did not release financial terms of the deal, which includes an option for a five-year extension.

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Shares of Halliburton rose 2.4 percent at $31.28.

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