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Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXN) has been on both sides of breakeven today
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) dropped out of the gate this morning, due to a poorly received earnings report. However, the stock has come back in a big way, and was last seen 5.5% higher to trade at $187.65, after announcing the appointment of a new CEO. The news has calls crossing at eight times the pace normally seen in ALXN's options pits at this point in the session.
The weekly 1/30 177.50-strike call is the most popular option by a wide margin, with volume more than doubling the closest contract. Buy-to-open activity has been detected at the strike, as traders are looking for additional gains above $177.50 through the close tomorrow, when the contracts expire. 
Today's preference for short-term calls over puts is more of the same from ALXN speculators. The stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.82 is lower than roughly three-fourths of all such readings from the past year -- meaning calls have been favored heavily over puts, among options expiring within the next three months.
The positive outlook is shared within the brokerage bunch, as 13 analysts rate the stock a "buy" or better, versus two "holds" and zero "sells." Also, ALXN's consensus 12-month price target of $210.59 sits in territory never before charted by the shares.
Over the past 52 weeks, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) has added close to 16%. However, since hitting a record high of $203.30 in early December, the equity has lost 7.7%.