Options volume is running at eight times the intraday average
Options traders are bombarding social media giant Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP), after the company's fourth-quarter earnings report led the shares 13.9% lower out of the gate today.
The Snapchat parent posted its third-straight quarterly decline, announcing earnings of 14 cents per share on revenue of $1.30 billion, with the latter figure slightly missing estimates. The company chalked the "challenging year" up to "macroeconomic headwinds, platform policy changes, and increased competition."
Within the first hour of trading, 160,000 calls and 115,000 puts have already been exchanged, which is eight times the intraday average volume. New positions are being opened at the most popular contract, the weekly 2/3 10.50-strike call.
Analysts are chiming in, too, with no less than 10 price-target cuts following the results. In addition, UBS downgraded Snap stock to "neutral" from "buy." while Benchmark adjusted its rating to "hold." Coming into today, 27 of 32 covering brokerages rated SNAP a "hold" or worse, while the average 12-month target price of $11.34 is a 13.1% premium to its current perch.
Facing pressure from the $12 level since early September, the shares of the social media company have shed more than 7% in the last 12 months. In the relatively young year, however, Snap stock is roughly 11.7% higher.