Bumble reported fourth-quarter earnings after the close yesterday
The shares of Bumble Inc (NASDAQ:BMBL) are soaring today, up 41.3% to trade at $23.55. The dating platform posted fourth-quarter earnings of 13 cents per share, which is higher than analysts' estimated breakeven results, as well as a strong 2022 outlook, though revenue came in slightly lower than expected. Separately, Bumble announced that it will be discontinuing operations in Russia.
To follow, BMO upgraded BMBL to "outperform" from "market perform," noting that online dating will benefit from easing mobility restrictions caused by the pandemic as it transitions to an endemic. No fewer than five analysts slashed their price targets, however, while Cowen and Company raised its price objective by $2 to $38.
Today's bull gap has BMBL rebounding from yesterday's record low of $15.41. Several moving averages still linger above as potential pressure, however, including the stock's 30-day trendline, which has helped guide the stock lower in recent months. Year-to-date, the equity is still down 30.4%. It's worth noting that Bumble stock was due for a short-term bounce, as its 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 15.5 sits firmly in "oversold" territory.
An unwinding of pessimism in the options pits could give the security a further boost. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), BMBL's 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.41 is higher than all but 1% of readings from the past year.
This shift in sentiment appears to have already begun, as options are picked up at 30 times the typical intraday average, with overall volume pacing for the top percentile of its annual range. So far, 25,000 calls and 16,000 puts have crossed the tape. The March 30 call is the most popular, followed by the 25 call in the same monthly series, with new positions being bought to open at both.