Options/Futures
Dykstra's Deep-in-the-Money Call: Walgreen
04/28/08 - 08:51 AM EDT
In sports, the winning and losing teams are often decided well before any of the players even step on the field. It often comes down to the general managers, owners and the rest of the front office. They're responsible for picking the players and assembling the teams. If they fail, the season is over before it even begins. This past weekend, the National Football League held its annual amateur draft in New York City's Radio City Music Hall. There were seven rounds and 252 picks. It was the culmination of millions of dollars and endless hours of scouting. Many teams had high hopes that they could grab the next Tom Brady, now an all-star athlete, but a player that wasn't drafted until the sixth round. The truth is many teams will be saddled with the inevitable high-priced first-round busts. The results will take years to determine, but the Monday Morning quarterbacks generally agree the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins were among the victors this weekend, while the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans went home with the short end of the stick. In the end, time will tell and it's ultimately up to the players to perform. But, if a team is filled with a stable of players with limited upside, its chances at success are slim to none. The same philosophy applies to picking investments for your portfolio, and I'm going to try and help you fill your team of investments with winners. I've already drafted some winners this season and we've come out of the gate quickly. Wins include General ElectricGE, Dow ChemicalDOW, BoeingBA, GarminGRMN and Sigma DesignsSIGM. Others, such as my pick on Cisco SystemsCSCO have been cut already, while the jury is still out on other orders that have been filled. The strategy I employ is simple. I find companies I believe have been unfairly sacked by Wall Street and put my money behind them. My time horizon is often four to seven months, and many times the trades are completed much sooner. The main focus in this newsletter is on deep-in-the-money options calls because they give me access to the world's best companies at a fraction of the cost I would have to pay if I bought shares of the company's common stock. Today, I am drafting WalgreenWAG to our team. The company is a prescription drug and convenience store chain. Its competitors include Rite AidRAD and CVS CaremarkCVS. Walgreen's stock price closed at $35.49 on Friday, just a few bucks above its 52-week low of $32.50, which it hit in December. Its highest point in the last year is $48.09, which came in July. Walgreen is a solid play. The company beat Wall Street's earnings expectations a month ago when it announced its fiscal second-quarter results. Its sales jumped more than 10% from the year-ago period. The company said on Friday it completed its tender offer for I-traxDMX, which it acquired for $5.40 a share. The move is part of Walgreen's plan to build a new health and wellness unit. Furthermore, I like Walgreen's potential. With an aging population and the company's business of selling prescription drugs, I like its chances. Therefore, I am placing a limit order to buy 10 contracts of the October $30.00 DITM calls (WAGJF) for $6.50 or better. As a reminder, once the order is filled I immediately place a good-till cancel (GTC) order at $1.00 above the entry price in order to exit the trade and score a $1,000 profit. Always remember: Life is a journey, enjoy the ride.
The PC maker is underrated, and don't understimate the Rangers' tough guy.
The insurer's October calls look ready to turn a double play.
Shares of the pharma giant hit a 52-week low Monday, setting up this option trade.
The oil company's strength offers an interesting option trade.
The tech company's October calls offer a good-looking play.
The stock's suffered since its earnings report, and now is the time to step into its options.
Yahoo! is among the most searched stocks on TheStreet.com. Here's what Cramer had to say about the stock recently.
Catch up on his thinking on the hottest topics of the past week.
Investors will have to deal with a Fed meeting and another flood of earnings and economic data.
Ensco International and Echelon have the potential to move higher in coming days.
See who made what calls.
The addition of video is helping telecom companies compete against cable and satellite companies.
The June West Texas Intermediate contract reflects selling pressure ahead of Tuesday's expiration. But stocks in the sector are generally trading higher.
See who made what calls.
Keep on top of the market and the critical information you need to make more profitable investing decisions.
Sponsored by:



