The line will be exclusively sold on Walmart's website starting in June
The shares of Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) are up 0.7% at $143.12 at last check, after the massive retailer announced it is partnering with Gap (GPS) to launch a new line of home products that will be sold exclusively on its website starting in June. The new collection will feature more than 400 items across décor, tabletop, bedding and bath, and comes on the heels of a booming home goods market, which was fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Digging deeper, Walmart stock has taken a major step back from its Dec. 1, all-time high of $153.65, falling all the way to the $126 mark in March. Shares have been in recovery mode ever since, recently breaking above the 120-day moving average. Longer term, WMT sports a 17% year-over-year lead.
The brokerage bunch leans overwhelmingly bullish towards Walmart stock. Of the 19 analysts in coverage, 15 carry a "buy" or better rating, while only four say "hold." Plus, the 12-month consensus target price of $163.76 is a whopping 14.3% premium to the equity's current perch.
A shift in the options pits would create additional tailwinds for the security. This is per WMT's 10-day put/call volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), which stands in the 89th percentile of its annual range.
Now may be an ideal time to bet on Walmart stock's next move with options. The equity's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 15% sits at the bottom-most percentile of all readings from the past year. This means options players are currently pricing in lower-than-usual volatility expectations -- a boon for premium buyers.