Unusual Options Activity

1. ConocoPhillips (COP)- There was sizable selling in the Mar and Apr calls today. Call activity was nearly 4x the average daily volume. The 3%+ drop in oil prices is resulting in most energy stocks giving up some of yesterday’s gains.
2. eBay (EBAY)- The Oct $52.50/$62.50/$70 bull call spread risk reversal was put on 8,500 times for a $0.38 credit. This same trade was put on two days ago 18,000+ times. Shares are moving closer to the flat line on the session even after Piper Jaffey’s Gene Munster downgraded the stock to underweight from neutral with a $49 price target.
3. Gilead Sciences (GILD)- The Apr 24 weekly 1×2 $104/$108 call spread was put on 6,897 times for a $0.32 debit and the Apr 24 weekly 1×2 $95/$99 put spread was put on 6,897 times for a $0.12 credit. He/she is betting on volatility taking the stock down to the mid $90’s or upper $100’s one month from now. The max risk is $0.20 unless the stock moves significantly above $108 or below $95.
4. Tiffany (TIF)- A rollout from 3,000 Mar $87.50 puts ($3.60 credit) into 4,700 Mar $85 puts ($2.30 debit). Earnings are due out tomorrow morning (shares have moved higher after earnings on 5 out of the last 7 reports). The Mar $87.50 puts were initially bought on 2/26 for $2.17-$2.22.
5. ZIOPHARM Oncology (ZIOP)- A rollout from 5,000 Mar $13 calls ($0.85 credit) into 4,000 Apr $17 calls ($1.05 debit). Call activity was 3x the average daily volume. 5,000 Apr $20 calls were purchased for $0.65 each on March 18th.

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COP EBAY GILD TIF unusual options activity ZIOP