From the IB options desk (8/18/09):

IYR – iShares Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index – Bearish option traders honed in on puts in the January 2010 contract of the U.S. real estate ETF. Such positioning indicates that the current 1.5% rally in shares to $38.17 today will not last. Pessimists picked up 10,000 puts at the in-the-money January 40 strike price for 6.23 apiece and spread the purchase against the sale of 20,000 puts at the lower January 25 strike for an average premium of 86 cents each. The net cost of the ratio put spread amounts to 4.51 and yields maximum potential profits of 10.49 per contract if the IYR plummets 35% to $25.00 by expiration in January. Shares must decline 7% from the current price before profits begin to accumulate beneath the breakeven price of $35.49.

FXI – iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index Fund – Long-term downside protection was scooped up by traders bracing for potential declines in the China exchange-traded fund by expiration in February 2010. Shares of the FXI are currently enjoying a more than 2% rally to $40.02. Approximately 15,000 puts were picked up at the February 38 strike price for an average premium of 4.20 per contract. Downside protection on a long position in the underlying, or profits on a short position, will kick in if the fund declines 15.5% from the current price to breach the breakeven point at $33.80 by expiration.

Source: IB