Analyst Upgrade Spurs Action In Skechers Options, Lifts Shares
SKX ? Skechers USA, Inc. ? An upgrade to ?Positive? from ?Neutral? with a 12-month target price increase to $22.00 from $19.00 at Susquehanna today kicked shares in shoemaker, Skechers USA, Inc., up as much as 13.6% to $19.26 on Wednesday.
The sharp rise in shares sparked heavier-than-usual trading traffic in Skechers options this morning, with notable volumes building in upside calls on the footwear company. It looks like some traders are positioning for shares in the name to extend gains, while other strategists are taking profits on previously established bullish positions.
The Dec. $17 strike call changed hands 1,000 times against open interest of 1,445 contracts within minutes of the opening bell today. Much of the open interest in the $17 strike call is the result of trading that took place on Monday; 1,000 of these contracts were purchased on Monday afternoon at a premium of $0.74 apiece.
Today, it looks like the buyer of those 1,000 option contracts is selling-to-close the position for an average premium of $1.90 each, and pocketing net profits of around $1.16 per contract in the process.
Fresh in-the-money call buying on SKX is apparent at the Dec. $18 strike where 300 lots were purchased at an average premium of $1.07 each. Buyers of these contracts profit at expiration next month as long as shares in Skechers settle above the average breakeven price of $19.07.
Bullish positioning spread to the Jan. $18 and $20 strike calls, as well. Traders snapped up roughly 200 lots at each striking price, paying average premiums of $1.72 and $0.68 per contract, respectively.
Upwards of 3,300 call and put options are in play on the Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based company as of 11:50 a.m. ET, versus the stock?s average daily options volume of around 430 contracts. Calls are far more active than puts, with the call-to-put ratio up above 11.6 as of the time of this writing.
——————————————————————————————————-
Note: The material presented in this commentary is provided for informational purposes only and is based upon information that is considered to be reliable. However, neither Interactive Brokers LLC nor its affiliates warrant its completeness, accuracy or adequacy and it should not be relied upon as such. Neither IB nor its affiliates are responsible for any errors or omissions or for results obtained from the use of this information. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or other financial instrument.Securities or other financial instruments mentioned in this material are not suitable for all investors. Any opinions expressed herein are given in good faith, are subject to change without notice, and are only correct as of the stated date of their issue. The information contained herein does not constitute advice on the tax consequences of making any particular investment decision. This material does not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs and is not intended as a recommendation to you of any particular securities, financial instruments or strategies. Before investing, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and, as necessary, seek professional advice.