UBS reported its best annual profit since 2006
UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS) stepped into the earnings confessional this morning, reporting its best annual net profit since 2006 for the fourth quarter, soaring 14% to $7.5 billion in 2021. The Swiss bank also set an ambitious profitability target going forward, and announced plans to increase its dividends and boost its share buyback program. In response, UBS stock was last seen 6.4% higher to trade at $19.87.
Today's positive price action adds to UBS's 11% year-over-year lead, and helps the security maintain reclaimed support at the 30-day moving average. Now trading back at its highest level in five years, UBS stock sports a 39.5% lead in the last 12 months.
Options traders are taking note of the movement, with the equity's normally quiet options pits running at 22 times the amount typically seen today. So far, 589 calls and 571 puts have exchanged hands, with new positions opening at the most popular contract, the February 20 put.
A broader look shows options traders have heavily favored puts recently. This per UBS's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 3.95, which stands higher than 98% of readings from the past year. This implies short-term options traders were rarely more put-biased during this time period.
It is also worth noting UBS' Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) sits at an 81 out of 100. This suggests UBS stock has exceeded options traders' volatility expectations during the past year, a boon for potential options traders.