Dell Puts Rise; Market Ends Mixed

Despite June’s new housing starts coming in much lower than anticipated,
stocks finished mixed, with the Nasdaq sinking 0.7% and the Dow gaining 0.7%.
The S&P 500 was flat.

By the close, the VIX had decreased .17 to 22.70.

The OEX August 800 calls fell 3/8 to 7.

Among bigger movers on heavier-than-average volume:

Dell
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fell 2 to 39 9/16 after an analyst downgrade. The Dell
August 40 puts rose 7/8 to 2 5/16 on more than 12,000 contracts.

Intuit
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bucked the negative Nasdaq trend and gained 4 3/16 to 39
3/16 following an analyst upgrade. The Intuit August 40 calls jumped 1 9/16 to 2
1/4 on heavier-than-average volume.

Protein Design Labs
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topped earnings estimates and gained 15 9/64
to 147 3/4. The PDLI August 3 to 4 on five times average volume.

Xilinx
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rose 4 5/16 to 75 5/16 while the Sept 70 calls gained 2
3/8 to 10 1/2 on more than 5000 contracts.