Caterpillar Optimist Buys Bullish Risk Reversal

Today’s tickers: CAT, EEM, CHK, AAPL, AA, UUP, MNKD, LVLT, CHTT, WTR & WAG CAT - Caterpillar, Inc. – Near-term bullish options trading on the machinery manufacturer today suggests some investors are positioning for a rally in CAT shares by expiration day in January 2010. The stock edged 0.75% higher during the trading session to $57.56. One investor initiated a bullish risk reversal on Caterpillar by selling 6,000 puts at the January 55 strike for a premium of 95 cents each, spread against the purchase of 6,000 calls at the now in-the-money January 57.5 strike for 1.67 apiece. The net cost of the reversal play amounts to 72 cents per contract. The investor accumulates profits on the transaction if CAT’s shares rally above the breakeven price of $58.22 by expiration. EEM - iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – Shares of the emerging markets exchange-traded fund increased 0.10% today to $40.41. Option traders established long-term bullish and long-term bearish positions in the January 2012 contract during the session. A bullish risk reversal took place at the January 2012 40 strike where one trader sold 6,500 puts for 7.80 apiece to buy 6,500 calls for 7.50 each. The optimistic investor pockets a net credit of 30 cents per contract on the transaction. The full 30 cent credit is safe in the trader’s piggy bank if shares of the EEM trade at or above $40.00 through expiration in two years. The investor is positioned to accrue additional profits as shares increase above $40.00. The other transaction observed in the January 2012 contract appears to be bearish. The trade involved the sale of 10,000 calls at the January 2012 45 strike for a premium of 5.30 each, marked against the purchase of 5,000 puts at the January 2012 35 strike for 5.50 each. The investor takes in a net credit of 5.10 per contract due to the 2-to-1 ratio of calls sold to puts purchased. EEM’s shares must trade below $45.00 in order for the investor to keep the 5.10 credit. CHK - Chesapeake Energy Corp. – Natural gas and oil exploration and production company, Chesapeake Energy Corp., experienced a 1.75% rally in the price of its shares to stand at $26.52 in afternoon trading. Some investors are anticipating a significantly higher share price for CHK by expiration in July 2010. Chesapeake-bulls bought roughly 4,000 calls at the July 30 strike for an average premium of 1.86 per contract.…