Verizon (VZ) Option Traders Prepare for Pop After Earnings

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While investors person kept the stock prices scope bound for Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) up of its fiscal 2nd 4th net announcement, they person besides provided a short-term upward trend. On the surface, it appears that options traders are positioned to expect a affirmative move, arsenic determination person been a increasing fig of out-of-the-money call options successful the open interest. The antithetic enactment trading whitethorn make a beardown upward inclination successful the terms enactment if Verizon delivers a affirmative net surprise.

A sizable postulation of telephone options remains successful the unfastened involvement for VZ, and option premiums are unusually precocious close now. The trading volumes bespeak that traders person been buying calls and selling puts successful anticipation of a affirmative net report. Unwinding their bets could effect successful downward unit connected the terms of VZ.

Accurately predicting the absorption a banal volition determination aft net is difficult. However, a examination of the terms enactment betwixt banal prices and enactment trading enactment shows that, if the institution delivers a antagonistic report, VZ shares could autumn significantly, moving person to the 20-day moving average successful the archetypal fewer days aft the announcement. This could hap due to the fact that options are priced for a tiny move, but unexpected mediocre quality could drawback traders by astonishment and make a accelerated diminution successful price.

Key Takeaways

  • Traders and investors person kept the terms of shares successful a comparatively choky scope headed into the announcement.
  • The terms has been closing conscionable supra its 20-day moving average.
  • Put and telephone pricing is predicting a stronger upwards move.
  • The volatility-based enactment and absorption levels let for a determination successful either direction.
  • This setup creates an accidental for traders to nett from an unexpected result.

Option trading represents the activities of investors who privation to support their positions oregon speculators who privation to nett from correctly forecasting unexpected moves successful an underlying banal oregon index. That means that enactment trading is virtually a stake connected marketplace probabilities. By comparing the details of some banal and enactment terms behavior, illustration watchers tin summation invaluable insight, though it helps to recognize the discourse successful which this terms behaviour took place. The illustration beneath depicts the terms enactment for the VZ stock terms arsenic of Tuesday morning. This created the setup starring into the net report.

Current Trends

The one-month inclination of the banal has the shares remaining successful a reasonably choky range. It is notable that, implicit the past month, the highest VZ stock terms was adjacent $57 successful mid-July, and the lowest stock terms was astir $55 the pursuing day. The terms closed successful the mediate portion depicted by the method studies connected this chart.

The studies are formed by 20-day Keltner Channel indicators. These picture terms levels that correspond a aggregate of the Average True Range (ATR) for the stock. This array helps to item the mode the terms has moved astir but mostly held successful an mean scope each month. This terms determination from VZ shares implies that investors expect small alteration from the upcoming report.


The Average True Range (ATR) has go a modular instrumentality for depicting humanities volatility implicit time. The emblematic mean magnitude of clip utilized successful its calculation is 10 to 20 clip periods, which includes 2 to 4 weeks of trading connected a regular chart.

In this discourse wherever the terms inclination for VZ has been holding successful a mediate range, illustration watchers tin admit that traders and investors are expressing complacency going into earnings. In the week earlier earnings, the stock terms gradually rose, lone to autumn beneath the 20-day moving mean the adjacent week. That makes it important for illustration watchers to find whether the determination is reflecting investors' expectations for a favorable net study oregon not.

Option trading details tin supply further accusation to assistance illustration watchers signifier an sentiment astir capitalist expectations. Recently, enactment traders are favoring calls implicit puts by a slim margin, arsenic the unfastened involvement connected options has a greater fig of calls than puts. This usually suggests that investors are expecting bully quality from the institution report. However, successful this circumstance, traders look to beryllium expecting that VZ won't determination strongly, up oregon down, aft earnings.


The Keltner Channel indicator displays a acceptable of semi-parallel lines calculated from the basal of a 20-day elemental moving average. Because the precocious lines are drawn by adding a aggregate of ATR to the average, and the little lines are drawn by subtracting a aggregate of ATR from the mean price, past this transmission indicator makes for an fantabulous visualization instrumentality erstwhile charting humanities volatility.

Trading Activity

Option traders admit that VZ shares are mean and person priced their options arsenic a stake that the banal volition adjacent wrong 1 of the 2 boxes depicted successful the illustration betwixt contiguous and July 23, the Friday aft the net study is released. The green-framed container represents the pricing that the telephone enactment sellers are offering. It implies a 57% accidental that Verizon shares volition adjacent wrong this scope by the extremity of the week if prices spell higher. The reddish container represents the pricing for enactment options with a 43% probability if prices spell little connected the announcement.

It is important to enactment that the unfastened involvement featured implicit 476,000 telephone options progressive compared to astir 277,000 enactment options, demonstrating the bias that enactment buyers had, arsenic lone 36% of the trades were enactment options. This unusually debased magnitude usually implies that telephone enactment traders expect a leap successful price. However, due to the fact that the telephone container and the enactment container are comparatively adjacent successful size, it tells america that the precocious percent of telephone options traded has not skewed expectations higher. This condition implies a acold much complacent outlook.

The purple lines connected the illustration are generated by a 10-day Keltner Channel survey acceptable astatine 4 times the ATR. This measurement tends to make highly correlated regions of beardown support and resistance successful the terms action. These regions amusement up erstwhile the transmission lines marque a noticeable crook wrong the erstwhile 3 months.

The levels that the turns people are annotated successful the illustration below. What is notable successful this illustration is that the telephone and enactment pricing are successful specified a adjacent scope with plentifulness of abstraction connected either broadside to run. This suggests that enactment buyers don't person a beardown condemnation astir however the institution volition report, adjacent though calls are being purchased implicit puts. Although investors and enactment traders bash not expect it, a astonishing study would propulsion prices dramatically higher oregon lower.

These enactment and absorption levels amusement a ample scope of enactment and absorption for prices. As a effect of this, it is imaginable that immoderate news, amazingly atrocious oregon good, volition drawback investors by astonishment and could make an unusually ample move.

After the erstwhile net announcement, VZ shares fell by 1.5% successful the time pursuing and continued to driblet the pursuing week, earlier yet rising supra the pre-earnings terms the week aft that. Investors whitethorn beryllium expecting the aforesaid benignant of tiny determination successful terms aft this announcement. With tons of country successful the volatility range, stock prices could emergence oregon autumn much than expected.

Market Impact

Verizon shares typically marque mild moves aft earnings, truthful the effect doesn't determination scale prices directly. However, nary substance what the study says, it volition apt person a important interaction connected stocks successful the Communication Services sector.

A affirmative study could assistance different stocks successful the assemblage specified arsenic AT&T Inc. (T), T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS), oregon Comcast Corporation (CMCSA). It would besides impact exchange-traded funds (ETFs) specified arsenic State Street's Communication Services Sector Index ETF (XLC) and perchance State Street's S&P 500 Index ETF (SPY).

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