BUY, SELL, HOLD (2)

ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ISIS) Traders Take Heed to Cramer

ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. calls are flying off the shelves today

Dec 19, 2014 at 1:24 PM
facebook X logo linkedin


ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS) is in rally mode today -- up 8.8% at $64.79, and earlier topping out at a record peak of $67.12 -- following bullish comments made by CNBC's Jim Cramer. Against this backdrop, calls are trading at eight times the average intraday clip, and per the equity's 30-day at-the-money implied volatility, which is up 6.5% to 59%, short-term contracts are in high demand.

In the soon-to-be front-month series, traders are targeting the January 2015 65- and 70-strike calls. Drilling down, there appears to be some buy-to-open activity here, as traders roll the dice on a bigger run into uncharted territory over the next four weeks.

From a wider sentiment perspective, options traders have shown a growing affinity for puts over calls among options slated to expire in three months or less. In fact, since Nov. 21 -- when November options expired -- the stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) has edged up to 0.88 from 0.82. What's more, the current ratio ranks in the 64th annual percentile, meaning short-term speculators are more put-heavy than usual toward the shares.

Thanks to today's surge, ISIS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISIS) is now boasting an impressive 63% year-to-date lead. An extended run into uncharted territory could prompt another round of upbeat analyst attention. At present, one-third of those covering the shares maintain a "hold" or "sell" suggestion, while the consensus 12-month price target of $55.90 stands at a discount to current trading levels.

 

Two High-Octane Trade Ideas. One Simple Goal: Intraday Profits.

Dynamite Day Trading Signals delivers two same-day options trades every week — powered by proprietary intraday analysis and 43+ years of trading expertise.

But this isn’t just another stream of alerts.

It’s a structured plan with clear entry and exit points – designed for traders who want to act fast, trade smart, and wrap up gains before the closing bell.

No guesswork. No overnight exposure – Just two well-researched setups per week — whether you prefer buying premium or selling it.

And the results speak for themselves: subscribers have locked in +245.8% total profit over the last six months (since inception!).

👉 Start your one-month trial now for just $10, and be ready for the next trade alert.