SDC is down 73% in the past 12 months
Late last week, SmileDirectClub Inc (NASDAQ:SDC) released the results from a recent survey it commissioned. The survey found that, among 1,000 U.S. consumers who had used telehealth services in the past two years, 77% had a neutral-to-positive experience, and 59% agreed or strongly agreed that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic made them more open to receiving telehealth care.
While SDC still sits firmly in penny stock territory, it's added nearly 15% this year. Plus, the shares look to have found their footing at several trendlines, including the 90-day moving average. On the other hand, it still suffers a year-over-year deficit of 73.5%, while the $3 level has kept a lid on shares since December.
The equity could benefit from a short squeeze, which might already be underway. Short interest dropped 8.1% in the last reporting period, and now the 34.60 million shares sold short make up 30.8% of the stock's available float, or nearly a week's worth of pent-up buying power.
It could be a good time to speculate on SDC's next move with options, too. The stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 102% sits in the 36th percentile of its 12-month range. In other words, options players are pricing in relatively low volatility expectations at the moment.
Moreover, the dental telehealth company has reached an intriguing valuation after its massive drop in price. Despite its lack of profitability, SmileDirectClub stock now trades at a price-sales ratio of 1.78, with 18.2% estimated revenue growth for fiscal 2023. SDC's earnings are also estimated to increase from -$0.52 to -$0.45.
Nonetheless, SmileDirectClub stock’s fundamentals offer virtually no security or consistency. SDC currently holds $224.86 million in cash and $766.32 million in total debt on its balance sheet. The oral care company’s annual revenues have also decreased by 15% since fiscal 2019, marking two consecutive years of declines on the top line. All of this combined makes SmileDirectClub stock, at best, a high-risk recovery option from a fundamental point of view.