No less than five analysts slashed their price targets
The shares of payments giant Visa Inc (NYSE:V) are down 4.6% at $221.27 this morning, following the firm's third-quarter earnings report. The company posted profits of $1.62 per share, which beat analysts' estimates, while its revenue also came in higher than expected. Visa did lower its full-year revenue forecast, however, in a move some are calling conservative. The drop has Visa stock sporting the steepest losses on the Dow right out of the gate today.
No less than five analysts slashed their price targets following the event, including Evercore ISI. The analyst lowered its price target to $308 from $312, noting that a cautious outlook on global trade demand is what initially prompted Visa's 2022 adjusted revenue forecast.
Analysts are still incredibly bullish on V. Of the 21 in coverage, just one calls it a "hold," while 19 say "strong buy." Meanwhile, the 12-month consensus price target of $276 is a 24.9% premium to last night's close.
This sentiment is surprising, considering the blue-chip stock's somewhat volatile price action during the past year. The security almost immediately plummeted off its July 27 record high, bottoming out at a nearly five-month low near the $216 level in late September. Now, Visa stock is back on its way towards these lows, though underlying support at the 320-day moving average could help contain a more dramatic pullback, like it did back in February. Year-to-date, V is clinging to a 1.7% lead.
Options traders are already swarming the stock, with 32,000 calls and 14,000 puts exchanged so far -- four times the intraday average. The most popular is the weekly 10/29 232.50-strike call, followed by the 235-strike call in the same weekly series.