Emerging Markets Bear With Butterfly Wings Dominates EEM Puts In Afternoon Trading

Today’s tickers: EEM, ETFC, CVA, CSCO, CMCSK, XLI, CATM, AXL & ASML EEM - iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF – An enormous bearish put butterfly spread comprised of 240,000 put options cast a gloomy shadow over the emerging markets fund late in afternoon trading. Shares of the EEM, an exchange-traded fund designed to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index – an index created to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets, are down 0.35% at $37.21 as of 3:30 pm (ET). The massive bearish transaction on the fund suggests one big player is bracing for a potential 19% pullback in the price of the underlying shares by June expiration. The butterfly spread spans the June $25/$30/$35 strikes, with 60,000 puts picked up at the June $25 strike for a premium of $0.11 each [wing 1] and another 60,000 puts purchased at the higher June $35 strike for a premium of $0.88 apiece [wing 2]. The body of the butterfly involved the sale of 120,000 puts at the central June $30 strike for a premium of $0.27 a-pop. The net cost of the spread amounts to $0.45 per contract. The EEM’s shares must slip beneath the upper breakeven price of $34.55 before the investor starts to make money ahead of June expiration. Maximum available profits of $4.55 per contract pad the investor’s wallet if shares of the underlying fund fall 19.35% from the current price to settle at $30.00 at expiration. Shares of the EEM last traded below $34.55 back on August 19, 2009, and touched a 52-week low of $30.12 back on June 23, 2009. The investor responsible for the giant transaction only ever risks losing $0.45 per contract, but stands ready to amass more than 10 times that amount – $4.55 per contract – if shares nose-dive down to $30.00 ahead of expiration day next month. ETFC - E*Trade Financial Corp. – A massive three-legged options combination play initiated on financial services firm, E*Trade Financial Corp., suggests one investor sees shares of the provider of online brokerage services trading within a narrow range through expiration in January 2011. ETFC shares are up 2.05% at $1.49 as of 2:30 pm (ET). The big options player initiated a sold strangle, selling 30,000 calls at the January 2011 $2.0 strike for $0.21 apiece and shedding 30,000 puts at the lower January 2011…