Procter & Gamble reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results and raised its full-year forecast
Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) is enjoying post-earnings tailwinds today, up 4.5% at $157.68 at last glance, earlier hitting a nearly two-year high of $158.11. The Cincinnati-based company posted a fiscal third-quarter results beat and raised its 2023 forecast, noting that customers have shown little pushback to the continually raised prices.
Today's gap higher has the Dow member breaking above recent pressure at the $152 level, as well as the $154 level, which kept a lid on gains from December through January. The stock is also breaking into positive territory for 2023, now up 3.9% year-to-date.
In the options pits so far today, 34,000 calls and 20,000 puts have crossed the tape, which is already three times the average daily volume. Expiring at the end of the day today, the April 160 call is the most active contract, with new positions being bought to open there.
This preference for calls has been the norm for the past 10 weeks. Procter & Gamble stock's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 2.21 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) ranks higher than 95% of readings from the past year.
These premiums can be had for a bargain at the moment too, as PG's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 17% ranks in the 5th percentile of its annual range. This means options traders are pricing in low volatility expectations at the moment.