Piper Sandler initiated coverage of the security with an "overweight" rating
The shares of real estate stock Zillow Group Inc (NASDAQ:ZG) are up 4% at $101.34 at last check, after Piper Sandler initiated coverage with an "overweight" rating and price target of $112. The firm noted that Zillow has been solid throughout the pandemic, and believes its core business is gaining momentum while the real estate market improves.
On the charts, ZG is just barely trading below its Sept. 23 all-time high of $101.57. The stock has technical support in place at the $92-$93 levels -- an area that happens to coincide with its 100% year-to-date return mark, and is four times its March closing low. The stock gapped higher in early August in the wake of an upbeat earnings report, and has followed through with September gains, unlike its immediate selloff in February following a post-earnings bull gap. There's additional support in place at ZG's 30-day moving average, in the event of a pullback.
Tailwinds could come from a shift in analyst sentiment, considering 12 of the 22 in coverage dole out a "hold" or worse rating on the security. Plus, Zillow stock's 12-month consensus price target of $91.80 is a 9.5% discount to current levels.
Furthermore, a premium selling strategy is preferred, given that options are currently quite rich. More specifically, ZG's implied volatility comes in at 61%, comfortably distant from its 21-day historical volatility of 41%. Lastly, ZG's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) ranks at an 96 out of 100. This means the equity has tended to exceed these expectations during the past year -- a good thing for option buyers.