DDD sold off after earnings, but the shares could rally from the 200-day trendline
3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) earlier this week delivered a fourth-quarter
earnings beat, but lower-than-expected revenue sent shares of the 3-D printing stock sliding. Still, DDD's technical setup may not be as dire as many believe right now. Most notably, the post-earnings pullback is being contained by the all-important 200-day moving average. According to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White, the stock has pulled back to this trendline four times in the past three years, and has gone on to gain on a 21-day timeline three times, averaging a brow-raising upside move of 10.6% after such signals.
It's also easy to see that, despite the recent dip, DDD's modest uptrend is still in place, with the stock carving out a series of higher lows since July. At $14.99, the shares boast a 19.4% year-over-year lead. Not to mention, the company has been mentioned as a possible
buyout target, adding another potential upside catalyst.
It certainly looks like a number of options traders are betting on a quick rebound for 3D Systems. In yesterday's trading, the weekly 3/31 16-strike call was the most popular option, and data from the major options exchanges confirms buy-to-open activity took place here. As such, these bulls are hoping DDD will top $16 by the end of the month, when the weekly contracts expire.
Luckily for these speculators, 3D Systems Corporation remains an attractive target for options traders. For starters, volatility expectations on near-term contracts remain muted, based on DDD's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 42%, which is just 3 percentage points from an annual low. Plus, the stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) is an elevated 79 -- meaning the shares have tended to make bigger-than-expected moves during the past year, compared to what the options market has priced in.
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