Unusual Options Activity: Penn Gaming (PENN)

Shares of casino operator Penn Gaming (PENN) have been in a strong uptrend the past few months. Even with a slight pullback Monday, at least one trader sees shares continuing to trend higher. That’s based on the April 2021 $140 calls. With 66 days to expiration, over 9,700 contracts traded, a 51-fold rise in volume over the prior open interest of 190 contracts. Shares would need to rise about 15 percent from their current price of $122 for the trade to ...
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Insider Trading Report: Harley Davidson (HOG)

Jochen Zeitz, President and CEO of Harley Davidson (HOG), recently picked up 30,800 shares. The buy increased his holdings by nearly 14 percent, and came to a total cost of just over $1 million. Insiders have generally been sellers of shares two to three years ago, but in the past year, buyers have started to emerge, led in part by Zeitz. Shares of the company have rebounded from last year’s big drop, but are essentially flat over the past year. The company ...
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Unusual Options Activity: Tesla Motors (TSLA)

Shares of electric vehicle giant Tesla Motors (TSLA) have flatlined in recent weeks. However, at least one trader sees a massive potential move higher in shares, or a way to profit from the current sideways trend. That’s based on the April 2021 $800 and the April 2021 $850 call options. Over 46,000 contracts traded at the $800 strike price, a 110-fold rise in volume. The $850 calls saw a 34-fold rise in volume, also with over 46,000 contracts trading. Shares of ...
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E-Commerce Service Plays Show Investors Where to Expect Economic Growth

The past year has seen a surge of e-commerce growth. While most may think of the sales of goods normally bought in stores, a number of other services are also available online. Companies that cater to small businesses growing online have seen tremendous growth from the increased online sales of both goods and services. That’s a trend likely to continue, which could be a big winner for a number of firms in the year ahead, even after a stellar year. One such ...
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Insider Trading Report: Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW)

Charles Ruffel, a director at Charles Schwab Corp (SCHW), recently picked up 3,636 shares. The buy increased his stake by 23 percent, and the total cost came to just over $196,000. This marks the first insider buy at the company since last July. Insiders have been overwhelming sellers of shares, dominated by Chairman Charles Schwab, who is still substantial shareholder at the company. Overall, insiders own over 7 percent of shares. The brokerage firm has performed about in line with the ...
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Unusual Options Activity: Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY)

Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) were one of many companies caught up in the recent retail short squeeze. While shares have been volatile in recent days, at least one trader now sees shares as oversold, and likely to bounce higher. That’s based on the March 2021 $42 call options. With 42 days until expiration, over 8,060 options traded yesterday, a 52-fold rise from the prior interest of 166. With shares trading near $27, the share price would need to rise ...
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A Defensive Play that Just Got Short Squeezed Is Back to Buying Territory

Many heavily shorted companies are done so due to their weakness to potential bankruptcy. However, sometimes a company gets a heavy short interest without any apparent weakness. That still makes shares susceptible to a squeeze. That may be what happened last week with shares of Tootsie Roll (TR). The confectionary firm saw its price soar to nearly $60 per share in intra-day trading, only to come back to its more recent price trend near $30. In hindsight, it’s easy to see why ...
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Insider Trading Report: Fastenal Co (FAST)

Daniel Johnson, a director at Fastenal Co (FAST) recently picked up 1,080 shares of the company. The buy increased his holdings by over 14 percent, and came to a total price of just over $50,000. Director Stephen Eastman was also a recent buyer, with a 1,000-share pickup in late January. Overall, insiders are both active buyers and sellers, with C-suite executives cashing out of stock options while directors keep buying. The directors are doing a better job, as shares of the ...
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