The covering analyst likes the company through at least 2019
While the dramatic comeback in Under Armour (UAA) shares has deservedly received plenty of coverage, rival Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) has continued to make moves of its own. NKE shares have steadily grinded higher in 2018, hitting an all-time high of $75.91 back on June 7, and rewarding options traders along the way.
Today, the blue chip is trading up 1.3% at $75.04, after Wedbush boosted its price target to $82 from $75, saying the company will top expectations through 2018 and 2019. The analyst in coverage also specifically cited Nike's direct-to-consumer business as a tailwind, along with sustainable double-digit growth in China.
Again, NKE continues to stand out as a potential target for our Expectational Analysis® trading approach, mainly because so many analysts have yet to ditch their bearish outlooks despite newfound strength on the technical and fundamental fronts. In fact, the majority of brokerages tracking the athletic apparel juggernaut still have "hold" or "sell" ratings in place, and the average 12-month price target of $72.49 is below current levels. This leaves the door open for additional price-target raises and/or upgrades to bring more buyers to the table.
Near-term options traders appear upbeat, though. That's according to the equity's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR), which at 0.88 sits down in the 10th annual percentile. Said differently, speculators targeting option contracts expiring within three months are unusually call-skewed at the moment. Indeed, the stock's momentum doesn't seem ready to slow any time soon, especially with today's strong retail sales report.