Hasbro, Inc.'s (HAS) earnings beat isn't impressing the Street, but the stock has found a technical foothold
Toy company
Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) reported
better-than-expected earnings, boosted by the success of its "Frozen" and "Star Wars" merchandise. Out of the gate, though, the stock is down 6.9% at $79.59, despite the high hopes of options traders.
Diving right in, speculators have bought to open more than three times as many HAS calls as puts during the past two weeks at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). The resultant
call/put volume ratio sits at 3.23. For comparison's sake, this reading registered at just 1.51 two weeks ago, meaning the rate of call buying has accelerated markedly of late.
Meanwhile, pessimism's been unwinding among short sellers. During the most recent reporting period,
short interest on HAS plummeted over 22%. At present, just 3.6% of the stock's float is sold short -- though this would still take about three days to cover, at the equity's typical trading levels.
One group that hasn't budged from its skeptical outlook is the analyst crowd. Of the 12 brokerages tracking HAS, 92% rate it a tepid "hold." Plus, the consensus 12-month price target of $88.22 represents a modest 8% premium to current trading levels.
While Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) has taken a step back today, it remains a long-term outperformer. Relative to its early January lows, the stock has soared nearly 22% higher. Also potentially promising for bulls, HAS appears to have found a layer of support at its ascending 30-week moving average -- a trendline the shares have not closed below since February. A
bounce from this trendline could prompt another round of short covering and/or potential upgrades, helping the stock resume its upward trek.
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