Deutsche Bank upgraded GRMN to "buy" from "hold"
The shares of Switzerland-based Garmin Ltd (NYSE:GRMN) are up 2.3% to trade at $136.59 at last check, after an upgrade from Deutsche Bank to "buy" from "hold," with a price-target hike to $160 from $148. The firm cited several factors, including the stock's current valuation, as well as the smartwatch maker's favorable business environment.
On the charts, GRMN recently bounced off its mid-December low at the $28 level -- its lowest point since March. However, the stock's 40-day moving average has kept a lid on gains. Year-over-year, the equity is up 15.3%.
Of the nine analysts in coverage, five still carry a tepid "hold" rating on Garmin stock. Meanwhile, the 12-month consensus price target of $164.86 is a 20.7% premium to current levels, and represents an area that rejected the stock in late October.
Now could be a good time to weigh in on the security's next move with options. The stock is seeing attractively priced premiums at the moment, per GRMN's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 21%, which sits in the 16th percentile of its annual range. Furthermore, the security's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) sits at a relatively high 81 out of 100, meaning the stock has exceeded option traders' volatility expectations during the past year.