For instance, �let's look at the SPY March at the money straddle. The 184 straddle is closest to being at the money �and is trading at 7.50 (3.70 in the call and 3.80 in the put).This means that the market believes the trading range until the March expiration will be 176.50 to 191.50 (translating to 1765 to 1915 in the S&P 500). We call these prices the measured move targets.
Two factors aside from a move in the underlying asset will affect the straddle price. Time and implied volatility. The straddle decays with time and every day nothing happens the straddle will get cheaper. If implied volatility goes up the straddle will widen in price as the measured move targets get farther apart. This means that the straddle is not an up/down directional play, it is a play purely based on movement.�
Keep in mind that selling a straddle is riskier than buying it. You cannot lose more than you pay for it but the seller has potentially unlimited losses. Buying the straddle is by no means a safe trade, however, particularly in times of high implied volatility. Volatility can collapse like a bad souffle, taking the straddle with it. Time decay also counts when the market is closed, such as over weekends and holidays.
In short, I believe the straddle is best used as an indicator of what the market thinks the measured move targets are rather than as a good risk vs reward trading strategy.
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The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.
Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now: Oracle Corporation(ORCL)
Oracle Corporation, an enterprise software company, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and services database and middleware software, applications software, and hardware systems worldwide. It licenses of database and middleware software, including database management software, application server software, service-oriented architecture and business process management software, data integration software, business intelligence software, identity and access management software, content management software, portals and user interaction software, development tools, and Java; and applications software comprising enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, enterprise performance management, supply chain management, business intelligence applications, enterprise portfolio project management, Web commerce, and industry-specific applications software. The company also offers customers with rights to unspecified software product upgrades and maintenance releases; Internet access to technical content; and Internet and telephone access to technical support personnel. In addition, its hardware systems products consist of computer server and hardware-related software, including the Oracle Solaris Operating System; and storage products, such as tape, disk and networking solutions for open systems and mainframe server environments. Its hardware systems support solutions include software updates for the software components. Further, the company offers consulting solutions in business and IT strategy alignment, enterprise architecture planning and design, initial product implementation and integration, and ongoing product enhancements and upgrades; cloud services, including Oracle Cloud Services and Advanced Customer Services; and education solutions comprising instructor-led, media-based, and Internet-based training in the use of its software and hardware products. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Redwood Ci ty, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
Oracle is an international supplier of software and hardware products and services to companies operating in various industries. The company’s�planned purchase of marketing software company Responsys Inc. may be hitting a speed bump as other companies, including SAP AG (NYSE:SAP), could be exploring the possibility of making a competing bid for Responsys. The stock has been quietly trending higher and is currently trading near all time highs. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising, which has left investors pleased. Relative to its peers and sector, Oracle has been a relative performance leader year-to-date. Look for Oracle to OUTPERFORM.
Top 5 Cheap Companies To Invest In 2014: Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc.(FCX)
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. engages in the exploration, mining, and production of mineral resources. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and cobalt. It holds interests in various properties, located in North and South America; the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; and the Tenke Fungurume minerals district in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s consolidated recoverable proven and probable reserves totaled 120.5 billion pounds of copper, 35.5 million ounces of gold, 3.39 billion pounds of molybdenum, 325.0 million ounces of silver, and 0.75 billion pounds of cobalt. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matt DiLallo]
Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX ) is expected to report first quarter earnings on April 24 before markets open. On average, analysts estimated the company will earn $0.49 per share on revenue of $5.18 billion. For the past four quarters, however, analysts have been surprised each time as the company reported higher earnings per share than estimates. This time, however, the company could instead surprise to the downside.�
Top 5 Cheap Companies To Invest In 2014: CVS Corporation(CVS)
CVS Caremark Corporation operates as a pharmacy services company in the United States. The company?s Pharmacy Services segment provides a range of pharmacy benefit management services, including mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy services, plan design and administration, formulary management, and claims processing; and drug benefits to eligible beneficiaries under the Federal Government?s Medicare Part D program. This segment primarily serves employers, insurance companies, unions, government employee groups, managed care organizations and other sponsors of health benefit plans, and individuals. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 44 retail specialty pharmacy stores, 18 specialty mail order pharmacies, and 4 mail service pharmacies located in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. This segment operates business under the CVS Caremark Pharmacy Services, Caremark, CVS Caremark, CarePlus CVS/pharmacy, CarePlus, RxAmerica, Accordant, and TheraCom names. The company?s Retail Pharmacy segment sells prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods through its pharmacy retail stores and online, as well as offers film and photo finishing, and health care services. This segment operated 7,182 retail drugstores located in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia; and 560 retail health care clinics in 26 states and the District of Columbia under the MinuteClinic name. It has a strategic alliance with Alere, L.L.C. for the management of disease management program offerings that cover chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. CVS Caremark Corporation was founded in 1892 and is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By gurujx]
CVS Caremark Corp (CVS) Reached the 52-Week High of $66.96
CVS Caremark Corp has a market cap of $79.7 billion; its shares were traded at around $66.96 with a P/E ratio of 18.60 and P/S ratio of 0.66. The dividend yield of CVS Caremark Corp stocks is 1.34%. CVS Caremark Corp had an annual average earnings growth of 13.50% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated CvS Caremark Corp the business predictability rank of 4-star.
- [By Dividend]
CVS Caremark (CVS)�has a market capitalization of $84.35 billion. The company employs 203,000 people, generates revenue of $123.133 billion and has a net income of $3.882 billion. CVS Caremark�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $9.014 billion. The EBITDA margin is 7.32 percent (the operating margin is 5.59 percent and the net profit margin 3.15 percent).�
- [By Holly LaFon] aremark is the nation's premier integrated pharmacy services provider, combining one of the nation's leading pharmaceutical services companies with the country's largest pharmacy chain.
Owens had a relatively small holding of 200,000 shares which he purchased in the third quarter of 2011 at about $36 per share. In the fourth quarter, he increased his holding by 50%, adding 100,000 shares at about $37 per share. CVS�� share price has actually increased more than 20% in the last year, and more than 21% in the fourth quarter alone.
Record-setting third-quarter earnings results, announced Nov. 3, 2011, contributed to the rise. Net revenues increased 12.5% to a record $26.7 billion. Revenues in its Pharmacy Services segment rose 25.8% to $14.8 billion, due primarily with the addition of a previously unannounced, long-term contract with Aetna Inc., and its acquisition of the Medicare prescription drug business of Universal American Corp. in the second quarter of 2011.
In the first nine months of 2011, the company also returned over $3 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases.
CVS has been growing over the long term as well. Its revenue per share increased at a 10-year annual rate of 11.5%, and its free cash flow per share increased at a 10-year annual rate of 21.4%. GuruFocus rated CVS Caremark the business predictability rank of 4.5-star. Steven Romick did an extensive analysis of CVS here.
Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX)
Boston Scientific Corporation is a worldwide developer
- [By CRWE]
CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE:CVS) reported that Dave Denton, executive vice president and chief financial officer of CVS Caremark Corporation, will be speaking at William Blair & Company’s Growth Stock Conference on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at approximately 8:50 a.m. CDT (9:50 a.m. EDT).
Top 5 Cheap Companies To Invest In 2014: Global Payments Inc.(GPN)
Global Payments Inc. provides electronic transaction processing services for merchants, independent sales organizations (ISO), financial institutions, government agencies, and multi-national corporations located in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards; business-to-business purchasing cards; gift cards; and electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification, and recovery, including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. The company also offers proprietary software products to establish revolving check cashing limits for the casinos? customers in the gaming industry. In addition, it sells, installs, and services automated teller machine and point of sale terminals; and provides card issuing services, including card management and card personalization. The company markets its products directly, as well as through ISOs, retail outlets, tra de associations, alliance bank relationships, and financial institutions. Global Payments Inc. has a joint venture with La Caixa Group to provide merchant acquiring services to merchants in Spain. Global Payments Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Shares of Global Payments Inc. (GPN) �advanced 4.8% to $67.50 on moderate volume after the company raised its earnings outlook for the year to a range of $4.03 to $4.10 a share. Analysts were forecasting $4.04 a share.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) reported upbeat fiscal first-quarter results and raised its annual forecast. Global Payments named Jeffrey S. Sloan as its new chief executive and announced its plans to buy back up to $100 million of its common stock. Global Payments shares surged 6.80% to $54.15 in the after-hours trading session.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Global Payments�(GPN) has gained 6.8% to $54.12 in pre-open trading after the payment processing company reported a profit of $1 a share, beating analyst forecasts of 95 cents. It also said it would buy back stock.
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