Real-time equity news
U.S. stock market report
1719 EST 30Dec2010
Economic diary for Dec. 31
There are no S&P 500 companies scheduled to report quarterly results on Friday. Economic indicators include the December New York ISM number.
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
1624 ET 30Dec2010
Wall Street edges slightly lower as year draws to end
U.S. stocks closed slightly lower on Thursday as a trio of better-than-expected economic data wasn't enough to entice buyers to take on much risk in a market sitting on strong gains just before the new year.
For details, see
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 15.67 points, or 0.14 percent, at 11,569.71. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 1.86 points, or 0.15 percent, at 1,257.92. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 3.95 points, or 0.15 percent, at 2,662.98.
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
1614 ET 30Dec2010
Financial ETF gets various call option plays
Traders exchanged about 344,000 calls and 31,000 puts on the Financial Select Sector SPDR fund, according to Trade Alert. The call action included the purchase of 50,000 March $17 strikes bought at 29 cents each. This might add to positions opened on Dec. 21 and 22, which included a buyer of 97,000 contracts at 29 cents each, said WhatsTrading.com options strategist Frederic Ruffy. The strike's open interest is now 322,869 contracts and the third largest position in the ETF behind the January $15 and $16 call options, Trade Alert data show. Ruffy also noticed a January $15-$17 XLF call spread fetched 98 cents apiece and traded 125,000 times on each leg during the session. It appears to be a trader exiting a position opened in early November when the same spread traded multiple times, including 98,745 contracts at 53 cents, he said. 'Booking profits at this stage of the game could be a sign that this investor no longer sees shares rising through $17.00 by January expiration,' said Interactive Brokers Group options analyst Caitlin Duffy in a report. The fund closed down seven cents to $15.91.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1542 ET 30Dec2010-Hong Kong ETF gets put buyers
analyst
Shares of the iShares Hong Kong Index Fund are below their November highs, and Thursday's action in its options is more put buying going into the New Year, said optionMonster analyst Chris McKhann on the firm's website. The exchange-traded fund rose 9 cents to $19.05 near the close, well below the $20.24 high set in early November when it bumped up against resistance that has been in place since January 2008. OptionMonster data show more than 23,000 February $16 puts have been bought against open interest of 144 contracts. One block of 16,150 was picked up for 35 cents after a larger trade was broken.
'The trade isn't tied to any stock movement today and represents a larger share than the daily volume of the ETF, which is currently under two million,' he said.
The trade appears to be a bet that shares will be lower into 2011. 'It could also be a hedge against long shares or a relative value trade that shares in Hong Kong will fare worse than other equity markets,' McKhann said.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
U.S. stock market report
1719 EST 30Dec2010
Economic diary for Dec. 31
There are no S&P 500 companies scheduled to report quarterly results on Friday. Economic indicators include the December New York ISM number.
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
1624 ET 30Dec2010
Wall Street edges slightly lower as year draws to end
U.S. stocks closed slightly lower on Thursday as a trio of better-than-expected economic data wasn't enough to entice buyers to take on much risk in a market sitting on strong gains just before the new year.
For details, see
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 15.67 points, or 0.14 percent, at 11,569.71. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 1.86 points, or 0.15 percent, at 1,257.92. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 3.95 points, or 0.15 percent, at 2,662.98.
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
1614 ET 30Dec2010
Financial ETF gets various call option plays
Traders exchanged about 344,000 calls and 31,000 puts on the Financial Select Sector SPDR fund, according to Trade Alert. The call action included the purchase of 50,000 March $17 strikes bought at 29 cents each. This might add to positions opened on Dec. 21 and 22, which included a buyer of 97,000 contracts at 29 cents each, said WhatsTrading.com options strategist Frederic Ruffy. The strike's open interest is now 322,869 contracts and the third largest position in the ETF behind the January $15 and $16 call options, Trade Alert data show. Ruffy also noticed a January $15-$17 XLF call spread fetched 98 cents apiece and traded 125,000 times on each leg during the session. It appears to be a trader exiting a position opened in early November when the same spread traded multiple times, including 98,745 contracts at 53 cents, he said. 'Booking profits at this stage of the game could be a sign that this investor no longer sees shares rising through $17.00 by January expiration,' said Interactive Brokers Group options analyst Caitlin Duffy in a report. The fund closed down seven cents to $15.91.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1542 ET 30Dec2010-Hong Kong ETF gets put buyers
analyst
Shares of the iShares Hong Kong Index Fund are below their November highs, and Thursday's action in its options is more put buying going into the New Year, said optionMonster analyst Chris McKhann on the firm's website. The exchange-traded fund rose 9 cents to $19.05 near the close, well below the $20.24 high set in early November when it bumped up against resistance that has been in place since January 2008. OptionMonster data show more than 23,000 February $16 puts have been bought against open interest of 144 contracts. One block of 16,150 was picked up for 35 cents after a larger trade was broken.
'The trade isn't tied to any stock movement today and represents a larger share than the daily volume of the ETF, which is currently under two million,' he said.
The trade appears to be a bet that shares will be lower into 2011. 'It could also be a hedge against long shares or a relative value trade that shares in Hong Kong will fare worse than other equity markets,' McKhann said.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.