Today’s tickers: AEM, ANF, LEN & ALTR
AEM - Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. – News that Agnico-Eagle Mines indefinitely suspended operations at its Goldex mine in Quebec took the luster out of shares in the gold mining company today. The stock fell nearly 20.0% to a multi-year low of $45.78 at its lowest point of the session. Some options traders are positioning for the stock to look even more tarnished by the end of the week. Meanwhile, demand for longer-dated put options on Agnico-Eagle Mines suggests the shares may remain under pressure through AEM’s third-quarter earnings release next Wednesday, for the remainder of 2011, and into the New Year.
Near-term bears jockeyed for put options in the October contract. The Oct. $45 and $47.5 strikes are two of the most active, with the majority of positions in each largely initiated by buyers. Traders exchanged roughly 1,400 in-the-money puts at the Oct. $47.5 strike against open interest of 317 contracts. These contracts were purchased roughly 930 times for an average premium of $0.89 a-pop. Investors long the puts may profit if shares in AEM trade below the average breakeven price of $46.61 at expiration later this week. The Oct. $45 strike put is the most active in the front month, with more than 2,100 of the contracts in play against open interest of 578 lots. Investors purchased most of the put options for an average premium of $0.55 each, and may make money on the bearish position in the event that shares in the gold mining company slip beneath the average breakeven point at $44.45 by expiration day.…
