Nordstrom stock raised its annual outlook following its first-quarter results
Nordstrom Inc (NYSE:JWN) stock is 4.3% higher this morning, last seen trading at $21.56, after standing out amongst the recent barrage of retail earnings. For the first quarter, the company reported a smaller-than-expected loss of 1 cent per share on revenue of $3.57 billion, which also beat estimates. Additionally, Nordstrom lifted its full-year sales and revenue forecasts, noting that continual demand from affluent customers has helped offset inflation woes plaguing some of its competitors.
Analysts were quick to chime in. Four price-target cuts rolled in between yesterday's close and today's open, with BofA Global Research notably moving down to $21 from $26. On the other hand, Deutsche Bank raised its price objective by $1 to $32. There is plenty of room for additional adjustments, as the 12-month consensus price target of $24.21 is a 17.1% premium to last night's close. Meanwhile, all 10 of the covering brokerages recommend a "hold" or worse.
It's also worth noting that short interest represents 19.8% of the stock's available float. At JWN's average pace of trading, it would take over three days to buy back these bearish bets.
The options pits favor bearish bets, and a shift in sentiment could give the equity an additional boost. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), Nordstrom stock's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 2.17 sits higher than 91% annual readings. This suggests that puts are outpacing calls on an overall basis.
On the charts, pressure from the 10-day moving average remains. The stock has lost 43.7% in the past 12 months, though it looks like it's chipping away at its 8.9% year-to-date deficit.