Dykstra: A Marvellous Call on Semis

Lenny Dykstra

Before we get to the new pick this morning, I want to update my Komag(KOMG Quote) buy order of 20 September 25 calls (QKXIE), moving the price to $1.65.

I noticed that not all of the good-till-canceled buy orders at $1.50 got filled on Friday. We have almost four months until expiration, and the risk-to-reward makes sense with almost 30% of the shares sold short on a stock with a float of only 22.70 million shares. If a short squeeze takes hold on this one, look out! This stock could bounce back to $30 before you can say boo.

Now for today's stock: Marvell Technology(MRVL Quote).

Great candidates for deep in-the-money calls often include value stocks as well as beaten-down growth stocks. Ideally, when using DITM calls, I want to find stocks where the premium is about $1 or less, that provide four to seven months to control 1,000 shares of the common stock. (Simply put, premium is calculated by adding the strike price -- $12.50 in this case -- to the price paid for the deep-in-the-money call, or $3.70. Then take the total, $16.20 on Marvell, and subtract the cost of the stock, $15.51, and you have the premium: 69 cents. Anything less than $1 for the ability to control the stock between four and seven months is just plain awesome. Last thing, please use a limit order.)

The less premium paid, the smaller the exposure and the higher the percentage increase when the calls hit. Growth stocks tend to trade with exaggerated extremes far more than those in other sectors.

Marvell is a growth stock in the hard-hit semiconductor sector that has been hit with an options backdating scandal not too different from the situation over at Apple. As a result, the company has seen its share price drop a staggering 57% from its 52-week high, and it's now trading at its 52-week low. But Marvell continues to grow revenue over 20% a year.

Although many factors distinguish Apple and Marvell from each other, I believe much of the positive with Apple -- and the negative with Marvell -- stems from the fact that Apple deals with end-consumer products. Many investors simply do not know about the industry-leading technology at Marvell.

In addition, the semiconductor industry as a whole has been hard hit for a while now. Stocks such as Marvell and previous DITM picks Intel(INTC Quote), Texas Instruments(TXN Quote) and Broadcom(BRCM Quote) have all reached prices below fair-market value. That's why they provide such potentially profitable DITM plays.

Although I do not strictly follow analysts' recommendations, I often use them as a guide. With Marvell, 18 analysts following the company list it as a buy or better, with six holds and only three sells. Although the company reported revenue slightly below the analysts' consensus, Marvell is strong in the storage space market and has advanced nicely into the fast-growing networking sector.

At this point, the company has little room left on the downside. At present value, the stock's price to earnings to growth ratio is 0.85. Rarely can we find buys this cheap, especially in today's strong bull market. Ultimately, Marvell will move on from the options scandal, and the company continues to increase revenue.

The minimal short position in the stock and its cheap PEG indicates that a bottom is in sight for Marvell. I will place a limit order to buy 10 November 12.50s (ULJKV) for $3.70 or better and let the DITM calls work for me.

Game of Life

Life is a battlefield, and sometimes, on this battlefield, against all odds, we emerge victorious. We are faced with death and somehow come out alive. Our psyches are so far down in the trench, and we somehow move on. With no weapons, we somehow win the battle. The scars may remain, but the wounds somehow fade, and we surface with our integrity strapped tightly to our chests.

For Kellie Lim, the battlefield took three of her limbs and three of her fingertips on her remaining hand. After growing up with a blind mother, Kellie caught bacterial meningitis, whereby doctors gave her an 85% chance of dying.

At this point, her legs, her right arm and three of her fingertips were amputated. She returned to normal school five months later. Lim, born right-handed, learned to write and work with her left hand, devoid of three fingertips.

She will graduate from UCLA's medical school this Friday and plans to specialize in pediatric allergy and infectious disease. She does not use a prosthetic arm but does travel the battlefield on two prosthetic legs. She is able to do most medical procedures, including taking blood and giving injections with her one arm.

You may think that some may question her medical prowess because of her physical disability, but professors and fellow students maintain that her poise and character make everyone around her forget about her physical circumstances. To them, she is a great doctor.

Lim's accomplishments exemplify that the only weapon necessary to overcome adversity is heart. Let this be a lesson for the battlefield: never give up. While the scars of lost battles may never vanish, the war can still be won.

For some professional athletes, athletic supremacy was never in question. Some were drafted out of high school and never looked back. But for many others, the battlefield is more challenging. Moreover, even for those whose past included an undefeated record, the misfortunes of battle are inevitable.

The Players Club understands the many brutalities of life. By guaranteeing recurring cash flow through our strategic partner, we give athletes the ammo to fight adversity moving forward, providing them with a better prognosis for success.

Always remember: Life is a journey; enjoy the ride!

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