This morning, VZ opened at $32.45. So far today the stock has hit a high of $32.64 and a low of $32.20. As of 12:20, VZ is trading at $32.36, down $0.67 (-2.0%). The chart for VZ looks neutral and S&P gives VZ a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.
For a bearish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a January 2011 bear-call credit spread above the $35 range. A bear-call credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of call options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 13.0% return in three and a half months as long as VZ is below $35 at January expiration. Verizon would have to rise by more than 8% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.
VZ hasn't been above $35 at all in the past year and has shown resistance around $33.70 recently.
Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer.
DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns a bullish hedged positions in VZ. The that position and the trade above can both expire profitably at the same time.
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