EARN25

Bullish Bias Builds as Chevron Stock Taps Another High

Chevron could see even more upgrades and/or price-target hikes going forward

Jan 11, 2018 at 10:19 AM
facebook X logo linkedin


With oil prices rising in recent months to multi-year highs, it's not surprising Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has been on a strong run since this past July. CVX shares have gained 23.6% in the past six months, and this morning touched a fresh three-year high of $129.95. Let's take a closer look at Chevron stock and this morning's brokerage attention below.

BMO this morning upgraded the energy giant to "outperform" from "market perform" and lifted its price target to $140 from $120, citing U.S. tax reform and higher oil prices as two reasons for the bullish note. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo boosted its price target to $129 from $117. Shares of CVX were last seen trading up 1.4% at $130.37 as a result.

The security could enjoy more upbeat analyst attention going forward, since half of the brokerages in coverage still rate it just a "hold" or "strong sell." Plus, Chevron is overtaking its average 12-month price target of $129.82.

Options traders have seemingly been betting on more upside. The stock has a 10-day call/put volume ratio of 2.62 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), showing call buying has almost tripled put buying over the past two weeks. This ratio ranks in the 93rd annual percentile, so this type of focus on long calls over puts is quite rare.

It's becoming pricier to target calls over puts, however. This is according to CVX's 30-day implied volatility skew of -1.2%, which is just 1 percentage point from an annual low. Nonetheless, call volume is already accelerated today, with more than 9,000 of the contracts crossing so far -- more than half the average daily volume.

CVX stock price

 

You Don’t Need 25 Alerts -- You Need ONE You Can Trust!

That’s the idea behind Trade of the Week, Schaeffer’s newest trade alert.

Every Monday morning before the opening bell, you’ll receive a single, expertly researched trade recommendation -- built from the same proprietary research we’ve been using for over four decades.

It’s not just a signal.

It’s a plan designed for traders who are tired of jumping from alert to alert without ever finding their edge.

No juggling alerts. No switching directions mid-week. Just one clear, expertly researched trade idea -- delivered before the market even opens.

👉 JOIN RIGHT NOW FOR JUST $1 TO GET THE NEXT TRADE!