The major pharmaceutical company reported a 45% rise in profits
The shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:REGN) are up 2.3% to trade at $510.38 this morning, after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings of $9.53 per share -- significantly higher than Wall Street's estimates of $8.39 per share -- as well as a revenue beat. The pharmaceutical concern also posted a 45% rise in profits, as demand for eye drug Eylea recovered, while its Covid-19 antibody treatment generated $145 million in sales.
Digging deeper, the security has been taking a breather from its July 20, all-time high of $664.64. Recent rejection at the $560 mark, combined with long-term resistance from the 120-day moving average, have capped additional gains over the past several months. Year-over-year, though, REGN is up 28.9%.
Analysts are majorly optimistic towards Regeneron stock, with 14 of the 20 in coverage sporting a "strong buy" rating. Plus, the 12-month consensus target price of $661.36 is a whopping 32.6% premium to current levels.
An unwinding of pessimism in the options pits could keep the wind at the equity's back. This is per REGN's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.06, which stands higher than 94% of readings in its annual range, suggesting short-term option players have rarely been more put-biased.
That shifts seems to be already happening today. So far, more than 1,900 calls have already crossed the tape, which is six times what is typically seen at this point. Most popular is the weekly -- and expiring -- 2/5 510-strike call, followed by the monthly August 495 call.
Now may be the right time to weigh in on Regeneron stock's next move with options. The security's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 41% stands in the relatively low 20th percentile of its annual range. In other words, REGN currently sports attractively priced premiums.