The security notched a fresh one-year high earlier
While several sectors are taking a breather this morning, Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) is climbing after major competitor Roche (ROG) said that its Alzheimer's drug candidate, gantenerumab, failed to meet its main goal. Back in September, Biogen shared upbeat data for its own Alzheimer's treatment, which caused the shares to surge, landing a series of highs in the subsequent months. Today, BIIB notched a one-year high of $304.56, and was last seen up 4.9% at $303.54.
This surge puts BIIB above a recent ceiling at the $293 level, which pressured shares lower in October 2021 as well. The equity now boasts a 27.2% year-to-date lead, and has added 12.9% in the last 12 months.
Options traders are taking note of the positive price action. So far, 4,640 calls have exchanged hands, which is triple what's typically seen at this point, compared to 1,933 puts. The most popular is the November 300 call, followed closely by the December 300 call.
Despite its recent positive price action, short-term options players have been incredibly put-biased. This is per the stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.99, which sits higher than 77% of readings from the past year.
There are still some holdouts among the brokerage bunch, too. Of the 27 analysts in coverage, nine still sport a "hold" rating, while the 12-month consensus price target of $305.78 is in line with current levels.