SFIX has staged an impressive rebound in October
Digital styling name Stitch Fix Inc (NASDAQ:SFIX) is on its way higher this morning, fresh off a bull note out of Telsey Advisory Group. The brokerage firm initiated coverage with an "outperform" rating and $29 price target, saying Stitch Fix's retail and tech strength made it an easy pick. In response, SFIX stock is up 1% at $23.64, at last check.
Stitch Fix stock has had quite a year on the charts, recently bouncing off a post-earnings, year-to-date bottom of $16.99 on Oct. 2. Nevertheless, the shares have staged an impressive rebound, up roughly 22% in October, and are eyeing a second straight close above the 80-day moving average -- a feat not accomplished since late July.
In terms of sentiment, put traders have been busy in the options pits. This is per the equity's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 1.00 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). Ranking in the 99% annual percentile, this indicates SFIX puts have been purchased over calls at a faster-than-normal clip in the past two weeks.
Echoing this, near-term options traders are also put-skewed at the moment, based on the stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.46. This reading ranks in the highest percentile of its annual range, showing such a preference for short-term puts over calls is rare. Of interest, peak put open interest sits at the October 15 strike, set to expire after the close today.
Short interest on SFIX has grown 30% during the past two reporting periods, and now accounts for nearly 45% of the equity's total available float. At the fashion stock's average pace of trading, it would take over a week for shorts to buy back their bearish bets.