Options Feeding Frenzy Ensues on Halliburton Co.

  Today’s tickers: HAL, BP, USU, S, POT, VALE & SKX HAL  - Halliburton Co. –  Investors are piling into put options on the oil services provider this afternoon following reports that suggest Halliburton shares culpability with BP for failing to act on warning signs that may have prevented the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. At around 1:30 pm this afternoon, HAL’s shares descended into freefall, declining as much as 16.15% to an intraday low of $28.86 in the span of about 30 minutes. Shares gained some composure later in the session, but are still down 10.15% to stand at $30.93 as of 2:45 pm in New York. According to articles on the subject today, HAL submitted documents to the National Commission investigating the BP spill that showed that three out of the four tests of the foam cement conducted by Halliburton before the April 20 blowout indicated the mixture would be unstable. Although Halliburton shared the results of one of two tests conducted in February, neither BP nor Halliburton acted on the information from the foam-stability tests. Uncertainty regarding the impact this new information may have on HAL going forward sent options traders into overdrive and fueled a more than 89.7% increase in the stock’s overall reading of options implied volatility to an intraday high of 62.38%. Investors have driven options volume on Halliburton up to 225,000 contracts as of 3:05 pm. Volume is heaviest in the November contract with the $30 strike put options receiving the most attention. More than 19,000 puts have changed hands at that strike. But, traders are purchasing more bearish contracts as well in case HAL’s shares continue to suffer in the weeks ahead. Pessimists purchased puts at the November $25 strike, where more than 3,400 lots changed hands, at an average premium of $0.39 each. Near-term call options are quite active, as well. The majority of volume in November contract calls appears to be the work of sellers throwing in the towel on the HAL following today’s news story. Longer-term bearishness appeared in the April 2011 contract where one trader initiated a ratio put spread. It looks like the investor purchased 1,250 puts at the April 2011…