Puts Purchased on AnnTaylor Stores (ANN)

Shares of AnnTaylor Stores Corp.

are higher on the session by 5.34%, currently trading at $15.79. The stock has been moving largely lower over the past four months, off from recent highs near $25.00. Options traders are buying puts today, though it looks like it's long hedges on long shares, which is bullish. The August $14.00 put was purchased 1,500 times, on the offer, just moments ago; open interest on the strike is 659 contracts. This signals new positioning on the name. Put volume is now running at 2.24x the daily average. AnnTaylor Stores Corp., through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a specialty retailer of women's apparel, shoes and accessories sold primarily under the Ann Taylor and LOFT brands. Its Ann Taylor and LOFT stores offer a range of career and casual separates, dresses, tops, weekend wear, shoes and accessories. Get free trades at