AKAM – Akamai Technologies (Last:26.70)

AKAM is closing on a 27.15 target flagged here several months ago. We hold a round lot with an adjusted cost basis of 11.01, giving us a paper profit of more than $1500 at current prices. I’d suggested shorting an in-the-money call when the stock reached the target, but we’ll probably do better selling something closer-to-the-money, since that will allow us to capture the “juice” of implied volatilities now in the mid-40s.  Accordingly, for each hundred shares of stock you own, short a February 29 call (UMUAK) at-the-market when AKAM gets within 10 cents of the target.  A price of about 0.95 would be a pretty decent sale, but don’t try to squeeze another nickel out of this gambit if there’s a chance it will cause you to miss the trade.  At the same time, buy one Feb 24 put (UMUNZ) for around 0.50.