Chase Puts Rise; Stocks Slide

Stocks are moderately lower Thursday following an extremely inflation-tame
Producer Price Index report. Semiconductors are the day’s top sector, while
airlines are the weakest.

At mid-day, the VIX is up .97 to 27.84.

The OEX December 730 calls are down 1.70 to .70.

Among bigger movers on heavier-than-average volume:

Chase Manhattan
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is down 2 3/8 to 42 1/8 following an earnings
warning. The Chase December 43 3/8 puts have jumped 1 3/8 to 1 7/8 on more than
3000 contracts.

Also down in sympathy are the broker/dealers, with Merrill Lynch
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down 2 1/4 to 64 13/16. The Merrill January 90 calls are down 3/4 to 3/8 on more
than 6000 contracts.

IBM
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is the one of the top Dow gainers of the day, up 1 3/4 to 93.
The IBM January 90 puts have eased 1 1/4 to 5 1/8 on more than 6000 contracts.

Adobe
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is down 8 9/16 to 57 5/8 while the Adobe December 57 1/2
puts have jumped 2 3/4 to 3 3/4 on triple average volume.