GameStop is lower after a revenue miss, but call traders are unfazed
GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) stock is near the bottom of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today, last seen down 17.7% to trade at $19.36. The meme stock and video game retailer reported adjusted second-quarter earnings of one cent on $798 million in revenue. While earnings are higher year over year, the revenue was a more than 20% drop from the $1.16 billion figure a year ago.
Customers opting to buy video games online hurt GameStop, which relies on the selling of new and used discs in-store. The company also filed for common stock offering of up to 20 million shares.
GameStop has been no stranger to volatility since its burst in popularity thanks to Roaring Kitty during the pandemic. This year is no different; since March 1, the stock has made 24 double-digit moves, regardless of direction. The shares traded as high as $64.83 on May 14, and as low as $9.95 on April 16, while today's drop has GME eyeing its first close below $20 since late May. The equity is up 12% in 2024 and 14.6% year-over-year.
Calls remain popular amidst this roller coaster. Data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) shows 152,988 calls were bought to open in the last 10 days, compared to 33,814 puts. The resultant call/put volume ratio of 4.52 sits in the elevated 82nd percentile of its annual range, suggesting a healthier-than-usual appetite for bullish bets of late.
Even with today's gap lower, there's still an appetite for calls. At last check, over 142,000 calls have changed hands, volume that's triple the average intraday amount and double the number of puts exchanged. However, the weekly 9/13 20-strike put is the most popular contract today.