Meanwhile, URBN gets hammered on sales woes
U.S. stocks are mixed this morning, as markets brace for a potentially volatile day of trading. Among specific names on the move today are Chinese internet issue Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA), drug stock Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc (NYSE:VRX), and retailer Urban Outfitters, Inc (NASDAQ:URBN). Here's a quick look at what's moving shares of BABA, VRX, and URBN.
Upbeat Forecast Has BABA Stock Buzzing
BABA stock is soaring, up 11% to trade at $139.72, and shattering its previous all-time high of $126.40 reached on May 17. The internet retailer raised eyebrows on Wall Street with its tremendously upbeat revenue forecast, projecting monster-sized growth of 45-49% in the 2018 fiscal year.
The stock is up 59% year-to-date, and has outperformed the S&P 500 Index (SPX) by more than 17 percentage points in the last three months. Analysts are feeling the love, as well; all 17 brokerage firms tracking the stock rate BABA a "buy" or better, with 14 of those maintaining "strong buys."
iNova Sale Helps Lift Valeant Stock
VRX stock is up 8% to trade at $13.18 today, after the company agreed to sell its iNova Pharmaceutical business for $930 million. The stock has been on the upswing since touching an eight-year low of $8.31 on April 24, and is testing support at its 80-day moving average. Despite this recent upturn, VRX stock is down 9.2% year-to-date.
The iNova sale may be welcome news for bullish options buyers, however. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), VRX has a 10-day call/put volume ratio of 2.81, which ranks in the 77th annual percentile.
SEC Filing Digs Into URBN Stock
URBN stock is down 9% to trade at $16.57 today, after the company's 10-Q filing revealed that second-quarter comparable sales are negative in the high single-digit range. Now, Urban Outfitters shares are trading at their lowest level since April 2009.
The retail stock has been in steady decline since peaking above $40 last November, with resistance at its 50-day moving average contributing to a year-to-date loss of roughly 42%. More than 19% of URBN's float is currently sold short, with quite a few bears targeting the stock -- yet analysts remain on the fence. Among 24 brokerage firms following URBN, 16 rate the equity a middling "hold."