Bearish Options Traders Take to Caterpillar Put Options

  Today’s tickers: CAT, KONG, ACOR & AXL CAT  - Caterpillar, Inc. –  The machinery maker’s shares fell during the past five trading sessions and started out this week on the decline, as well. Shares in CAT fell briefly this morning, but reversed course to rally as much as 1.8% to an intraday high of $108.27. But, the rebound in the price of the underlying stock today may not be a lasting trend according to some options players initiating bearish stances on Caterpillar today. It looks like one pessimist purchased a put spread, buying around 3,000 puts at the June $100 strike for a premium of $1.39 each, and selling the same number of puts at the lower June $90 strike at a premium of $0.26 a-pop. The net cost of initiating the spread amounts to $1.13 per contract. Thus, the trader starts making money if CAT’s shares drop 8.7% from today’s high of $108.27 to breach the effective breakeven point on the spread at $98.87 by expiration in June. Maximum potential profits of $8.87 per contract are available to the investor should shares plummet 16.9% to trade below $90.00 at expiration next month. Longer-term bearish sentiment appeared in January 2012 contract put options. One trader purchased 5,000 deep out-of-the-money puts at the January 2012 $72.5 strike for a premium of $1.59 each. Rising levels of options implied volatility on CAT as well as bearish movement in the share price will benefit the investor by lifting premium on the puts, while the erosion of time value on the long position will work against him. The puts may have been tied to stock. Options traders are exchanging roughly 1.6 put options on the stock today for each single call option in play as of 12:30pm in New York. KONG  - KongZhong Corp. –  The Beijing, China-based wireless media company popped up on our scanner this morning due to predominantly bearish activity in June contract options. Shares in KongZhong Corp. plunged 24.9% during the session to touch an intraday…