DRYS, GRPN, and SWKS are among the stocks on the move today
U.S. stocks are taking it on the chin this afternoon, with one Fed official warning of a possible economic slowdown. Among specific equities in focus today are sea freight firm DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS), daily deals stock Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) supplier Skyworks Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:SWKS). Here's a quick look at what's moving DRYS, GRPN, and SWKS.
- DRYS has spiraled 12.3% lower to $1.92 to land on the short-sale restricted list -- and earlier touched a record low of $1.84 -- despite the absence of a clear catalyst. This probably isn't what options traders were counting on, considering how call-skewed they are. DryShips Inc. sports a Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.09, meaning calls outstrip puts by a roughly 10-to-1 margin among options expiring in the next three months. What's more, this ratio ranks in the low 4th percentile of its annual range.
- GRPN is up 3.1% at $3.61, with Trade-Alert citing rumors that Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) could be considering a takeover as the key driver. However, Groupon Inc shares are currently being contained by their 30-day moving average, which rejected them earlier this month and in early December. Options traders have been wagering on upside in recent months. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), speculators have bought to open 7.62 GRPN calls for every put in the last 50 days -- a ratio ranking in the bullishly skewed 92nd annual percentile.
- SWKS is down 2.7% at $76.31, after Goldman Sachs cut its rating to "neutral" from "buy," and slashed its price target by $9 to $79, citing a potential loss of market share in 2017. Since late September, the shares have largely been in a holding pattern in the $72-$80 range. If options traders have their druthers, Skyworks Solutions Inc will break lower. The stock sports a 10-day ISE/CBOE/PHLX put/call volume ratio of 1.95, which rests just 8 percentage points from a 12-month peak. In other words, traders have been buying to open puts over calls at a near-extreme clip lately.
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