"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" grossed $330 million globally
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (NYSE:AMC) stock is surging to start the week, up 9.6% at $7.89 as last check, on the success of the newest Marvel movie, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." The film grossed $330 million globally in its opening weekend, with AMC theaters welcoming over 4.9 million viewers across the world, and set a record for the biggest November opening in company history.
Options traders have been keen on AMC this morning, with 198,000 calls and 74,000 puts across the tape so far -- four times the intraday average volume. The November 8.50 call is the most popular, with new positions opening there.
On the charts, AMC has been rallying since its Nov. 9 annual low of $5.05. Since then, AMC is up more than 50%. Year-to-date, however, the equity is still down roughly 54%.
Analysts are still wholeheartedly bearish on the stock, which could leave room for tailwinds via upgrades. All five of the analysts in coverage carry a "hold" or worse rating on AMC, plus, the 12-month consensus price target of $2.69 is a 65.7% discount to current levels.
It's also worth noting that short interest makes up 19.8% of the stock's available float. At AMC's average pace of trading, it would take three days to buy back these bearish bets.