Earnings Beat Spurs Lively Trade In Schlumberger Options

Today’s tickers: SLB, BSX, PSS & IFF SLB  - Schlumberger Ltd. –  Shares in the world’s largest oilfield-services provider shot up 3.6% to $94.28 today after the company revealed better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter. Schlumberger said profits in the quarter increased 64% on rising crude prices, which spurred more onshore drilling on U.S. soil. Options traders appear to be employing numerous strategies on the stock, from profit-taking to fresh bullish positioning, across several expiries. Trading traffic is heaviest in the front month, where at least one investor likely raked in substantial profits post-earnings report. It looks like the trader originally purchased a 2,500-lot August $87.5/$92.5 call spread at a net cost of $2.30 per contract on Wednesday when SLB shares were trading around $88.48. The sharp rally in the price of the underlying in the past couple of days sent call premium skyward, and it looks like the investor sold the spread today at a net $3.63 per contract. Matching up net premium paid initially against that received today yields net profits of $1.33 per contract or around $332,500 in just a few days. Meanwhile, an investor betting on continued gains in shares of Schlumberger through September expiration appears to have enacted a three-legged ratio spread on the stock. The trader sold 1,000 puts at the September $85 strike for a premium of $1.32 each, purchased 1,000 in-the-money calls at the September $92.5 strike at a premium of $4.75 apiece, and sold 2,000 calls up at the September $100 strike for a premium of $1.56 a-pop. The transaction cost a net $0.31 per contract and makes the most money for the trader if shares in SLB jump more than 6.0% to settle at $100.00 at September expiration. Options implied volatility on SLB is down 13.9% to arrive at 25.88% in early-afternoon trade.…