• 
• See all for optionMONSTER
• View Print Version

• Volatility index, VIX futures slide
• Russell 2000 outperforms big caps

• EMC 80% Rate It

EMC is trying to strengthen, and one investor has protection in place.

optionMONSTER's Depth Charge tracking program detected the purchase of 16,500 April 25 puts for $1.44 and the sale of an equal number of October 25 puts for $0.14. Volume was below open interest in the October contracts, indicating that an existing position was closed and rolled forward in time.

The investor now has an additional six months of downside protection on the cloud-computing stock. He or she probably owns shares and is using the puts as a long-term hedge. (See our Education section for more on how options can be used to manage risk.)

EMC rose 0.33 percent to $27.67 yesterday and has been fluctuating between $20 and $30 since the market crashed during the summer of 2011. Its last earnings report on Aug. 15 beat expectations, suggesting that it was recovering from a slowdown in its government business last year.

Overall option volume was twice the daily average in yesterday's session, according to the Depth Charge. Puts outnumbered calls by more than 7 to 1.

Related Options Articles

• 
  Call seller leaves AngloGold for dead
  5/20/2013 03:23 AM
• 
  Dividend bull looks for market melt-up
  5/20/2013 03:23 AM
• 
  Chicago Fed data only calendar item
  5/20/2013 02:23 AM