One options trader bought to open about 28,000 FireEye Inc (FEYE) calls
FireEye Inc (NASDAQ:FEYE) is down 1.3% today at $16.76, but that hasn't kept bullish bettors out of the options arena. By the numbers, 42,000 call options are on the tape, or about five times what's expected at this point in the session. The majority of this action can be traced to one ambitious speculator.
According to
Trade-Alert, one options player bought to open about 28,000 September 23 calls. By doing so, she's expressing confidence that FEYE shares can take back the 23 strike by September expiration. Alternatively, it's possible the call buyer could be a
short seller hedging her bearish position. After all, short interest exploded 26% during the last two reporting periods, and currently accounts for 14% of FEYE's float.
The cybersecurity stock is
no stranger to call buying. During the last two weeks at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), traders have bought to open more than 13 FEYE calls for each put. The resultant call/put volume ratio of 13.22 sits just 2 percentage points shy of a 12-month peak. Echoing this call bias, the stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.30 registers in the low 29th percentile of its annual range.
Yet, the shares have been a
disaster on the charts, just like
this sector peer. Despite
persistent M&A rumblings, FEYE has surrendered nearly one-fifth of its value in 2016 -- and the technical picture gets even bleaker going back a year.
Fundamentally speaking, FireEye Inc (NASDAQ:FEYE) shareholders voted to approve a proposal yesterday,
requiring majority voting in uncontested board elections. Separately, the cybersecurity firm said cyberattacks led by China-based hackers have
decreased 90% over the last two years.
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