Dick's Sporting Goods will report earnings before the open tomorrow
Dick's Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE:DKS) stock was last seen trading marginally lower, down 0.4% at $110.78, ahead of it's second-quarter earnings report, due out before the open tomorrow, Aug. 23. Despite a roughly 4% year-to-date deficit, DKS has performed spectacularly of late, bouncing from an 18-month low of $63.45 in May to add 46.7% in the last three months. The 20-day moving average moved in to assist in early July, helping the shares break above the 320-day moving average earlier this month.
Looking at Dick's Sporting Goods stock's earnings history, the shares have moved higher in six out of the last eight post-earnings sessions, going back two years. The shares averaged an 8.5% pop the day after earnings, regardless of direction. This time around, the options market is pricing in larger 15.3% move.
Options traders, however, seem to be betting on some downside, as put volume is running at 14 times the intraday average, with 19,000 bearish bets crossing the tape so far today. The most popular two most popular contracts are the weekly 8/26 105- and 95-strike puts -- where new positions are being opened -- which suggests these traders see the shares falling by the weeks end.
There's potential for a short squeeze, however. Short interest increased by 7.5% in the last two reporting periods, though these bearish bets still represent a hefty 27.3% of the stock's total available float, and more than five days of pent-up buying power, at the security's average pace of trading.