The stock received no fewer than three price-target hikes
The shares of Chewy Inc (NYSE:CHWY) are surging this morning, up 15% at $92.47 at last check, after the pet goods e-tailer posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits and revenue. The company attributed the upbeat results to customer base growth, and noted years of preparation have positioned it as a leader in the e-commerce pet space. In response, the equity received no fewer than three price-target hikes, including one from Wedbush to $100 from $90.
On the charts, the security has been attempting to recover from several bear gaps that knocked it off its Feb. 16, all-time high of $120 all the way down to the $75 level. However, today's pop has helped shares break through overhead pressure at the $87 mark, while also reclaiming the 20-day moving average. Year-over-year, CHWY sports a 111.5% lead.
Analysts were already optimistic toward Chewy stock coming into today, with eight of the 13 in question calling it a "buy" or better, compared to five tepid "hold" or worse ratings. Plus, the 12-month consensus target price of $103.62 is a 28.9 % premium to last night's close.
Meanwhile, shorts have been building their positions, which could eventually lead to a short squeeze. Short interest is up 9.7% in the last two reporting periods, and the 11.46 million shares sold short account for an impressive 21.4% of the security's available float.
A shift in the options pits would create more tailwinds for the equity. This is per Chewy stock's 50-day put/call volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), which stands in the 87th percentile of its annual range. In other words, long puts have been picked up at a faster-than-usual rate.