Iron-Ore Bull Excavates Massive Credit Spread on Vale S.A.

Today’s tickers: VALE, ANF, ARIA, GCI, S, KR, SYY, AZO, TLB & RAI VALE - Vale S.A. – Option volume on iron-ore producer, Vale, exploded this afternoon after one investor exchanged 102,200 puts in the June 2010 contract. The put activity actually implies bullish sentiment on Vale despite the 3% decline in shares this afternoon to $27.36. It appears the contrarian trader sold 51,100 in-the-money puts at the June 29 strike for a premium of 4.45 each, and purchased 51,100 puts at the lower June 23 strike for 1.75 apiece. The iron-bull receives a net credit of 2.70 per contract on the trade, which he keeps if VALE’s shares rally above $29.00 by expiration in June. Shares closed at $29.40 just last week on December 2, 2009. The investor is exposed to losses to the downside if shares decline through the breakeven price of $26.30. Maximum potential losses of 3.30 per contract accumulate for the trader if the stock sinks 16% from the current price to $23.00 by June’s expiration day. ANF - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. – A number of large-volume put transactions on fashion retail store operator, Abercrombie & Fitch, indicates investor pessimism on the stock through expiration in January 2010. Abercrombie’s shares slipped 1.5% during afternoon trading to $35.11. Perhaps bearish option traders were dismayed by the firm’s weaker-than-expected November sales report. ANF posted a 17% decline in same-store sales for the month, which was far worse than the 9.3% decline anticipated by analysts. It appears one investor initiated a four-legged combination play aimed at protecting against near-term declines in the value of ANF shares. First the investor established a ratio put spread by purchasing 15,000 puts at the January 35 strike for 2.10 apiece, marked against the sale of 30,000 puts at the lower January 32 strike for 95 cents each. The net cost of the ratio spread amounts to 20 cents per contract. Next, the trader effectively created an uneven butterfly spread by rolling a previously established put position in the January 2010 contract up to a higher strike price. It seems the trader originally purchased 15,000 puts at the January 29 strike for roughly 2.50 apiece on October 2, 2009. Today the individual took a loss on that position by selling the puts for 40 cents apiece to buy the same number of put options at the higher January 31 strike for 80 cents premium. The put trades…