The home improvement retailer also reported mixed quarterly results
The shares of Lowe's Companies Inc (NYSE:LOW) were last seen down 5.3% to trade at $194.80, after its mixed fourth-quarter report had profits beating estimates while sales missed the mark. Additionally, the home improvement retailer's full-year sales forecast came in below expectations, due to weakening demand as surging inflation delays spending on home projects.
Overall options volume is running at six times the intraday average, with 4,910 calls and 3,762 puts across the tape so far. Most popular is the 3/3 210-stike call, followed by the 195-strike put in that weekly series.
Calls have been more popular than usual over the last two weeks. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the stock's 10-day call/put volume ratio of 1.18 ranks higher than 78% of annual readings.
Options look like a good way to weigh in on Lowe's stock's next moves, as it sports attractively priced premiums right now. This is per its Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard Index (SVI) of 35%, which ranks in the relatively low 21st percentile of the past 12 months.
The shares have today breached a floor at the $198 level, which coincided with long-term support at the 180-day moving average. And while the security rallied to the $233 region in early February -- its highest level since March 2023 -- it carries a 9.6% year-over-year deficit.