SMF Notes Unusual Options Activity

The following options are exhibiting notable trading, potentially indicating changing sentiment toward the underlying stocks, and/or potentially representing positioning for increased volatility.
Bullish Call Activity:
* JNS Jan 13 calls (volume: 2620, open int: 210, implied vol: ~36%, prev day implied vol: 30%)    * HOV Jan 4.5 calls are seeing interest ahead of earnings today after the close (volume: 1070, open int: 730, implied vol: ~55%, prev day implied vol: 50%)    * LIZ Jul 10 calls and Jan 6 calls are seeing interest with underlying stock up 5.7% (volume: 6140, open int: 80, implied vol: ~55%, prev day implied vol: 51%) and the LIZ Jan 6 calls (volume: 5290, open int: 2480) -- co is expected to report earnings mid Feb    * PCX Jan 19 calls are seeing interest with strength in the underlying stock (+7.4%) along with other coal related names and following Howard Weil initiation before the open with Market Outperform(volume: 7190, open int: 3330, implied vol: ~49%, prev day implied vol: 46%)    * DRC Jan 45 calls (volume: 1500, open int: 160, implied vol: ~28%, prev day implied vol: 25%)    * SSRI Jan 27 calls are seeing interest after the co updated its 2011 production guidance (volume: 7550, open int: 2200, implied vol: ~47%, prev day implied vol: 44%) -- co also announced before the open the completion of its sale of the Snowfield and Brucejack Projects    * ROC Jan 40 calls are seeing interest with underlying stock down 4.0% following pricing of 8 mln share common stock offering by selling shareholders at $38.30/share(volume: 2680, open int: 2620, implied vol: ~32%, prev day implied vol: 30%)    * SNDK calls are seeing interest following upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James (stock up 4.6%). So far today 25.9K total calls have traded vs 9.1K total puts. Most notable are the SNDK Jan 55 calls (volume: 10.4K, open int: 10.8K, implied vol: ~38%, prev day implied vol: 37%)
Bearish Put Activity:
* LLEN Jan 10 puts are seeing interest with intraday weakness in the underlying stock (now down 11%) after Herb Greenberg discussed on CNBC Chinese Reverse Mergers negatively--specifically LLEN (volume: 1960, open int: 840, implied vol: ~82%, prev day implied vol: 64%)    * APKT puts are seeing interest with 2.2K total puts trading vs only 540 total calls. Most notable are the APKT Feb 55 puts (volume: 1000, open int: 40, implied vol: ~58%, prev day implied vol: 57%) -- co is expected to report earnings early Feb
Sentiment: The CBOE Put/Call ratio is currently: 0.73... VIX: (16.45, +0.04, +0.2%). *Please use the Talk to Us link at the top of the page to provide feedback on this comment as well as the OPTNX comments.