Bulls Covet Comcast Corp. Calls as Shares Hit New 52-Week High

  Today’s tickers: CMCSA, CSX, WHR & TSN CMCSA  - Comcast Corp. –  Bullish traders are piling into call options on Comcast Corp. today after the cable provider received an upgrade to ‘outperform’ from ‘market perform’ with a 12-month target share price of $26.00 at Sanford Bernstein. Shares in Comcast Corp. surged 5.05% to secure an intraday- and new 52-week high of $22.40. Optimism on the cable services company also follows a report in the Wall Street Journal this morning that describes Comcast’s efforts to test a new service that combines TV and the some features of the Internet through a set-top box. Near-term bulls purchased more than 5,910 now in-the-money calls at the December $22 strike for an average premium of $0.36 apiece. Investors holding these contracts are hoping to see Comcast’s shares soar above the average breakeven price of $22.36 through expiration on Friday. More than 7,200 calls changed hands at the December $22 strike versus puny previously existing open interest of just 1,052 contracts. Optimism spread to the January 2011 contract where investors purchased in- and out-of-the-money call options. Traders scooped up more than 2,800 calls up at the January 2011 $22.5 strike at an average premium of $0.46 apiece. Call buyers at this strike are poised to profit should shares in Comcast Corp. climb 2.5% over today’s high of $22.40 to exceed the average breakeven point on the calls at $22.96 ahead of January 2011 expiration. Comcast call and put options were active in the April 2011 contract, as well. It looks like one trader may have unraveled a 2,500-lot three-legged bullish spread this morning. The sharp rise in demand for options on the stock lifted Comcast’s overall reading of options implied volatility 8.8% to 25.26% by 12:55 pm. CSX  - CSX Corp. –  The provider of rail-based transportation services popped up on our scanners in the first half of the trading session after a large number of put options changed hands in the January 2011 contract. CSX Corp.’s shares are down slightly…