Universal Display Corporation (OLED) has more than doubled in value in 2015
Amid an
Economic Times report that
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will use displays made by
Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ:OLED) for the iPhone, OLED shares are 6.8% higher at $55.92. Accordingly, it looks like option traders are gambling on extended gains for the tech stock.
Diving right in, OLED's intraday call volume more than triples the expected amount. According to
Trade-Alert, speculators may be buying to open the January 2016 60-strike call, anticipating the shares will topple the round $60 level -- and move into four-year-high territory -- by January expiration. Even if the options expire out of the money, the buyers will
forfeit no more than the initial premium paid.
Today's bullish betting is business as usual, per data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). During the past 10 weeks, OLED has amassed a
call/put volume ratio of 6.82 -- registering above all but 7% of comparable readings taken in the prior year.
Echoing this upbeat sentiment, OLED's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.54 ranks in the low 13th percentile of its annual range. These expectations are understandable, considering the stock has doubled in value on a year-to-date basis.
However, not everyone has boarded the bullish bandwagon. In fact, during the last reporting period, short interest on Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ:OLED) surged almost 18%, and now comprises close to 11% of its float. At average daily trading levels, it would take over four sessions to cover these bets. In fact, some of these shorts may have hedged their positions with
protective calls.