The shares are down 20% from their recent highs
The shares of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) have had a rough stretch since topping out at a record high of $423.21 in late June -- down nearly 20% at last night's close -- and just wrapped up a notable losing streak. Nevertheless, one analyst today is saying buy the dip on the FAANG stock, sending NFLX up 2.3% to trade at $347.
Specifically, SunTrust Robinson upgraded NFLX stock to "buy" from "hold, citing reports that signal potential growth in India and trends hinting at a strong third quarter for the streaming giant. However, following the equity's recent retreat, the brokerage firm lowered its Netflix price target by $5 to $410 -- still a 15% premium to current trading levels.
Looking closer at the charts, the stock's longer-term trend has been to the upside -- based on its more than 100% year-over-year gain. Plus, the equity's recent retreat was quickly contained by its rising 160-day moving average, a trendline that's served as a springboard on several occasions over the last three years.
But while SunTrust is expecting an even bigger bounce from Netflix, it looks as if one options trader is betting on a period of muted price action for the shares. The September 340 call and put are home to peak open interest of roughly 18,700 contracts apiece, with data from Trade-Alert suggesting these options may have been used to initiate a short straddle earlier this month. If this is the case, the speculator expects NFLX to settle squarely at $340 at the close on Friday, Sept. 21 -- when the options expire.