Software stocks WDAY and INTU are both sharply higher after earnings
Workday Inc (NASDAQ:WDAY) stock is up 7.8% at $275.15, after the software name posted fourth-quarter earnings of $1.92 per share on revenue of $2.21 billion, beating estimates of $1.78 on $2.18 billion. The software company is seeing a greater demand for artificial intelligence (AI) tools and benefited from a "$1.1 billion release of the valuation allowance related to U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets." Year over year, the equity is down 6.8%.
In the options pits so far, WDAY has seen 11,000 calls and 11,000 puts exchanged, which is already 2.4 times its average daily options volume. The weekly 4/4 245-strike put is the most popular, with new positions being sold to open there.
Intuit Inc (NASDAQ:INTU) is shooting off last session's 52-week lows, up 11.7% at $620.37 at last check, though still down 6.6% year over year. The fintech company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $3.32 per share on $3.96 billion in revenue, above expectations of $2.58 per share on $3.83 billion, and better-than-expected current-quarter guidance. Following the news, Morgan Stanley upgraded the shares to "overweight" from "equal weight," though no fewer than five other analysts slashed their price targets, including Scotiabank to $600 from $700.
INTU has seen 7,829 calls and 3,779 puts cross the tape so far, which is seven times the overall volume typically seen at this point. March 720 call is the most popular, where new positions are being sold to open.