Featured MNV Articles:

Agree To Buy Idexx Laboratories At $490, Earn 7.2% Annualized Using Options

Play Video: How To Sell A PUT If the video does not load after a few moments, Upgrade to the Latest Flash Player.

Free Email Alerts By Stock: Get Dividend Alerts Get SEC Filing Alerts

Investors considering a purchase of Idexx Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDXX) shares, but cautious about paying the going market price of $602.96/share, might benefit from considering selling puts among the alternative strategies at their disposal. One interesting put contract in particular, is the December 2022 put at the $490 strike, which has a bid at the time of this writing of $34.70. Collecting that bid as the premium represents a 7.1% return against the $490 commitment, or a 7.2% annualized rate of return (at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost).

Start slideshow:
Top YieldBoost Puts of the Nasdaq 100 »

Selling a put does not give an investor access to IDXX's upside potential the way owning shares would, because the put seller only ends up owning shares in the scenario where the contract is exercised. And the person on the other side of the contract would only benefit from exercising at the $490 strike if doing so produced a better outcome than selling at the going market price. (Do options carry counterparty risk? This and six other common options myths debunked). So unless Idexx Laboratories, Inc. sees its shares decline 18.1% and the contract is exercised (resulting in a cost basis of $455.30 per share before broker commissions, subtracting the $34.70 from $490), the only upside to the put seller is from collecting that premium for the 7.2% annualized rate of return.

Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for Idexx Laboratories, Inc., and highlighting in green where the $490 strike is located relative to that history:

The chart above, and the stock's historical volatility, can be a helpful guide in combination with fundamental analysis to judge whether selling the December 2022 put at the $490 strike for the 7.2% annualized rate of return represents good reward for the risks. We calculate the trailing twelve month volatility for Idexx Laboratories, Inc. (considering the last 251 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $602.96) to be 27%. For other put options contract ideas at the various different available expirations, visit the IDXX Stock Options page of StockOptionsChannel.com.

Agree To Buy Idexx Laboratories At $490, Earn 7.2% Annualized Using Options | Market News Video | Copyright © 2008 - 2024, All Rights Reserved