Today’s tickers: BX, GCI, AA, LVS, XLF, JPM, C, AGN, RHT, SU & SWY BX The Blackstone Group L.P. – The broader market experienced gains after fresh information from the Treasury Department was released regarding its plan to utilize private and public funds to relieve banks of bad credit and toxic assets. Shares of BX soared on the news by 23% to $7.77 because it is has now been widely reported that hedge funds and private-equity firms are likely to reap substantial gains from the public-private partnership. Blackstone jumped to the top of our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner after one investor established a sold straddle in the May contract. At the May 7.5 strike price 10,000 calls were sold for 1.60 each while 10,000 puts were also sold for 1.10 each. The gross premium pocketed on the trade amounts to 2.70 and is fully retained if shares settle at $7.50 by expiration. Call volume has far outweighed put volume with a ratio of 2.4 calls to each put traded. We observed pure call buying in the April contract where traders picked up lots as high up as the 10 strike for a premium of 33 cents each. One investor paid a net cost of 40 cents in order to roll 4,350 in-the-money calls at the June 2.5 strike price forward to the same low strike expiring in January 2010. Optimistic traders also picked up 3,000 calls at the January 10 strike price for 1.86 each. Option implied volatility peaked at 120% today, but has since come off to the current reading of 105%. GCI Gannett Co., Inc. – Shares of the international news and information company are up by more than 7% to stand at $2.30. GCI appeared on our ‘hot by options volume’ market scanner after one trader utilized options in search of gains on the rising stock. We believe that this investor likely purchased 1,000,000 shares of the underlying stock and simultaneously sold 10,000 calls at the April 2.5 strike price for a 15 cent premium. By selling the option contracts the trader effectively reduced the price of the shares to $2.00 each because the stock was trading at $2.15 at the time of the trade. Should the 2.5 calls land in-the-money by expiration this investor will have sustained gains of 23% if the shares get called away from him at the end of the month. AA Alcoa Inc. – The…