PRTK, TEVA, and MSGN are among the stocks in the news today
Stock futures are trading below fair value this morning. Among specific equities in focus are drugmakers
Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:PRTK) and
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:TEVA), as well as sports entertainment stock
MSG Networks Inc (NYSE:MSGN). Here's a quick roundup of what's moving shares of PRTK, TEVA, and MSGN today.
Drug Data Sends Paratek Pharmaceuticals Stock Soaring
After closing Monday at $18.60, PRTK stock has surged 30% in pre-market trading, on track for a multi-year high. The stock is reacting to last night's news -- which briefly halted the shares -- that
Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc's bacterial pneumonia treatment was successful in a mid-stage study. Analysts were quick to weigh in, too. While Wedbush initiated coverage on PRTK yesterday with an "outperform" rating and $30 price target, the brokerage firm went back this morning and raised its price target to $34. Leerink, meanwhile, increased its price target to $37 from $32, territory not charted since January 2015. The equity has already added 20.8% year-to-date, and hit a two-year peak of $19.90 yesterday. Short-term
options traders, meanwhile, have rarely been as put-heavy toward PRTK, per the stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 2.55 -- in the 89th annual percentile.
Teva Pharmaceutical Shares Get an FDA Boost
TEVA stock is trading 2.1% higher ahead of the bell, after the company won approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its
Huntington's disease drug. The shares could certainly use a boost. Since topping out at a record high of $72.31 in July 2015, TEVA stock has plunged 55% to trade at $32.19 -- just off its early February decade low of $31.90. Options traders have been quick to bet on more losses for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd shares. The stock's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.96 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) ranks in the 81st annual percentile -- meaning puts have been bought to open over calls at a faster-than-usual clip.
Verizon Listed Among MSGN's Rumored Suitors
Rumors are swirling that
MSGN is looking to put itself up on the auction block -- with Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) listed among the potential suitors. The speculation has done little to lift shares of MSG Networks Inc in electronic trading, with the stock last seen up 0.4% after closing last night at $22.95. Longer term, MSGN stock has added nearly 56% since bottoming at a two-year low of $14.73 last July, but short sellers have been bracing for a retreat. Short interest rose almost 9% in the most recent reporting period, and now accounts for 6.3% of MSGN's available float -- or 5.6 times the stock's average pace of trading.