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Kohl's Stock Drops as Analyst Warns of Slowing Same-Store Sales Growth

KSS stock's recent lows have been contained by the $58 level

Managing Editor
May 11, 2018 at 10:05 AM
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Department store chain Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS) is trading lower this morning, after receiving a downgrade to "neutral" from "outperform" and a price target cut to $64 from $72 from Credit Suisse. Analyst Michael Binetti said near-term risks could translate into a tough 2018 for the retailer, including weather-related slowing same-store sales growth. In response, KSS is down 1.3% at $59.75, at last check.

Looking at the charts, KSS surged 83% from its November lows to February's $69.48 two-year high, but has since been churning lower. And while the $58 level has emerged as a floor during this pullback -- and the 120-day moving average is containing today's downside -- the 80-day moving average has acted as a ceiling since mid-April. Kohl's stock has shed 5% over the past month, but is still up 62% year-over-year.

In the options pits, bearish bettors have been ramping up their exposure in recent weeks. Data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) shows the security with a 10-day put/call volume ratio of 1.19, ranking in the 82nd annual percentile. This suggests puts have been purchased over calls at a faster-than-usual clip.

This skepticism is seen elsewhere on Wall Street, too. Short interest on KSS rose nearly 10% during the most recent reporting period, and now represents 18% of the stock's total available float. At Kohl's stock's average daily trading volume, it would take almost nine days for the shorts to cover their bearish bets.

 

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