Roku stock remains 350% higher year-to-date
Roku Inc (NASDAQ:ROKU) stock's troubles are continuing today, after the streaming company announced its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Steve Louden will be stepping down from the position, as soon as his replacement is found. Louden cited his desire to relocate to Seattle, as the reason for his resignation. In response, the shares of ROKU are down 2.1% at $135.39.
This drop comes just a few weeks after the equity suffered a massive bear gap on the heels of its late-November peak, at the hands of Morgan Stanley, which issued a scathing analyst note. The security has yet to recover, with pressure at its 10-day moving average applying stiff resistance on the charts. For the year, however, ROKU still boats an impressive 350% gain, with support at its ascending 120-day moving average still providing a floor for the security.
For the most part, analysts are optimistic on ROKU, with 11 of the 16 in coverage calling it a "buy" or better. Plus, the consensus 12-month target price of $146.75 is an 8.5% premium to last night's close.
On the other hand, put buying has ramped up in recent weeks. While ROKU's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.71 shows that calls are still outnumbering puts on an absolute basis at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), this ratio sits higher than 73% of all other readings from the past year, indicating a healthier than usual appetite for these bearish bets over bullish of late.
For those looking to speculate on the streaming stock's next move with options, now would be an opportune time. The security's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 62% is in the 16th percentile of its annual range, meaning options players are pricing in incredibly low volatility expectations right now. What's more, ROKU's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) sits at 97 (out of 100), indicating the equity has tended to exceed option trader's volatility expectations during the past year.