How an option player puts the moves on a stock (Schaeffers Research) - Let's face it: unless you're a complete trading nerd (like those of us here at Schaeffer's), you've probably heard the term "option" thrown around, and feigned knowledge of this elusive concept, for fear of being the only one who wasn't with the game...( Read More )

Jewel parent Supervalu sees stock jump on takeover rumors (Crain's Chicago Business) - (Reuters) — Shares of Supervalu Inc. gained as much as 11 percent in heavy trading Friday as rumors circulated that the second-largest U.S. supermarket operator could be poised for a leveraged buyout. The shares reached $17.89, their highest level since June, and finished the day up 6.6 ...

A frenzy of bullish speculation ensues as the stock rebounds from support (Schaeffers Research) - Option volume was unusually heavy yesterday on Google Inc. (GOOG), with call activity accelerating to three times the norm, and put trading rising to twice the usual level...( Read More )

AES Draws Heavy Upside Option Activity (TheStreet.com) - Traders were buying AES calls in large numbers Thursday, the second time this week that the international power company has seen upside option activity.

Yen Falls to 2-Week Low; Kan Says Intervention Is an Option (Bloomberg) - March 12 (Bloomberg) -- The yen fell to a two-week low against the euro after Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan said foreign-exchange intervention is always an option for the government if currency movements are abrupt.

Yen Trades Near 2-Week Low; Kan Says Intervention Is an Option (Bloomberg) - March 12 (Bloomberg) -- The yen traded near two-week lows against the dollar and the euro after Japanese Finance Minister Naoto Kan said foreign-exchange intervention is always an option for the government if currency movements are abrupt.

One strategist is expecting the stock to stagnate during the near term (Schaeffers Research) - Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) garnered unusually heavy option volume on Thursday. Roughly 10,000 calls crossed the tape, well outpacing expected volume of fewer than 3,700 contracts...( Read More )

EQT prices public offering of 12.5 million shares (AP via Yahoo! Finance) - EQT Corp. has priced a public offering of 12.5 million shares of its common stock at $44 per share. The energy company said late Wednesday that it also gave the underwriters a 30-day option to buy up to an additional 1.9 million shares.

U.S. stock futures point toward flat-to-lower start to the regular session of trading (Schaeffers Research) - The S&P 500 Index (SPX) moved to within striking distance of its January highs on Wednesday, as the index muscled its way past the 1,145 level...( Read More )

China Security shares drop on new stock offer (AP via Yahoo! Finance) - U.S.-traded shares of China Security & Surveillance Technology Inc. fell Thursday after the security and surveillance company said it will sell 20 million new shares of its common stock.