AB Inbev reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and revenue
The shares of Anheuser-Busch Inbev NV (NYSE:BUD) are down 5.2% at $61.84 at last check, despite the company's upbeat fourth-quarter report. AB Inbev, as it's commonly referred as, announced earnings of $1.08 per share on revenue of $12.77 billion -- higher than the anticipated 88 cents per share and $12.25 billion in revenue expected by analysts. The Budweiser parent also raised its 2021 forecast, though the increased usage of cans due to stay-at-home orders has added some pressure, as they're more expensive than the bottles and kegs often used in restaurants and bars.
On the charts, today's drop has BUD below the $62 level for the first time since its November bull gap. However, the pullback seems to have been caught by the 160-day moving average, which has been a trendline of support since August. Year-to-date, the equity is down 12.1%.
Options traders have been quick to chime in post-earnings, with overall volume running at three times what's typically seen at this point. So far, 2,408 calls and 1,055 puts have crossed the tape. The most active option is the January 2022 90-strike call, followed by the April 55 put, with new positions being opened at the latter.
Now doesn't look like a bad time to weigh in on BUD's next move with options, either. The stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 39% stands higher than just 13% of all other readings in its annual range, implying that options players are pricing in relatively low volatility expectations at the moment.