The shares of broadcasting name Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) are eyeing their fifth straight win today as more details from the firm's streaming service Peacock roll out. The firm said it will offer a free tier of the service, as well as a $5 a month option -- which will include advertising -- in order to win over customers as a newcomer to the streaming game. Peacock will make be available on April 15 for Comcast customers, and July 15 nationwide. In the meantime, the stock is up 1.5% to trade at $47.55.
CMCSA has had an impressive run since staging a sharp bounce off the $42 area in early December. Since then, the security has added 13.1%, and is up over 30% in the past 12-months. Plus, with recent support emerging at its 20-day moving average, Comcast is on track for its highest close on record.
Despite this positive price action, there's still room for upgrades among the brokerage bunch. While 14 in coverage call the stock a "buy" or better, four still say "hold."
In the options pits, CMCSA sports a Schaeffer's open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.31, which sits higher than all but 1% of readings from the past year, meaning short-term traders have rarely been more put-biased during the past 12 months. An unwinding of these bearish bets could trigger a move higher in CMCSA shares.
Options are certainly the right move for anyone looking to invest in the media stock. The security's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 21% sits in the 19th percentile of its annual range. This means short-term options are pricing in extremely low volatility expectations right now.