Earnings Preview: Skyworks Solutions Inc, Weight Watchers International, Inc., and Tripadvisor Inc

While the broader market searches for direction, a busy earnings week pushes forward. Three names heading into the earnings booth tonight are semiconductor stock Skyworks Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:SWKS), weight management firm Weight Watchers International, Inc. (NYSE:WTW), and travel site Tripadvisor Inc (NASDAQ:TRIP). Below, we'll take a quick peek at SWKS, WTW, and TRIP before they unveil their quarterly results.

• Starting with SWKS, it looks like some traders are betting on a post-earnings slide. Data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) reveals that the stock's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.95 is higher than 89% of readings from the past year. In other words, put buying has been unusually popular during the past two weeks. These traders may be remembering Skyworks Solutions Inc's last trip to the earnings booth, when it dropped 5.2% during the subsequent session. In anticipation of tonight's event, the options market is pricing in an even loftier 7.1% swing, judging by SWKS' near-term at-the-money (ATM) straddle. As for today's trading, it's been a roller coaster session, with the shares last seen 0.3% lower at $79.95 -- pulling their year-to-date lead just below 10%.


• Meanwhile, the options market is pricing in another huge post-earnings move for WTW. The stock's near-term ATM straddle is showing an anticipated move of 17.1%, roughly in the line with its single-session post-earnings average move of 17.8%, going back eight quarters. While Oprah is hoping for a move to the upside, short sellers want a post-earnings drop. Short interest represents over 57% of Weight Watchers International, Inc.'s float, accounting for over a month's worth of buying power, at average daily volumes. The shares are looking good today at least, picking up 2.1% to trade at $16.84. This is nothing new, though. WTW has more than doubled the S&P 500 Index's (SPX) performance during the past three months, on a percentage basis.


• Lastly, thanks to some major M&A buzz within the online travel sector, TRIP is 1% higher at $83.45, as the company prepares to reveal earnings later in the day. Ever since the company announced its partnership with Priceline Group Inc (NASDAQ:PCLN) nearly a month ago, the shares have been churning in the $80-$85 range, recently consolidating atop their 10-day moving average. Options traders are betting on the security to break out of this range after earnings, though, pricing in an 8.8% post-event move. If Tripadvisor Inc does beat estimates tonight, it could be in store for some positive analyst attention. Currently, only four of the 21 brokerage firms tracking TRIP say it's anything more than a "hold," despite a nearly 12% year-to-date gain.