NFLX shares have already made a sharp reversal, though
Yesterday we discussed why technical traders may want to avoid Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) at the moment, at least on the bullish side of things. Analysts are still quite bullish on the company's fundamentals, however, with Guggenheim this morning boosting its price target to $420 from $360. In the note, the analyst called out the company's combination of "core values, business model, and consumer value proposition" while saying they expect the streaming giant's subscriber growth to come in stronger than expected.
Of course, bull notes are nothing new on the FAANG stock, with 21 of 32 brokerage firms handing out "buy" or better ratings. The average 12-month price target stands at $381.22. Netflix stock was last seen up 0.9% at $370.88, but it's already made a sharp reversal since peaking at $377.61 out of the gate.
Today's bullish analyst attention has options volume accelerated early on. More than 75,000 calls have traded so far, compared to just 30,000 puts, with overall volume pacing for the 98th annual percentile. Most popular is the September 380 call, which is set to expire at the close this Friday. With most of these contracts crossing at the ask price and implied volatility higher, there's a chance buy-to-open activity is taking place here. If so, the traders are betting on NFLX rising above $380 by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, the September 377.50 call could also be seeing buying action this morning. On the put side, the September 360 and 370 strikes are most popular. This increased attention has implied volatility up almost 11% for the day, last seen at 50.7% -- ranking in the 87th annual percentile, indicating higher-than-normal volatility expectations for near-term contracts.