Citigroup downgraded FedEx stock to "neutral"
This morning, Citigroup downgraded FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) to "neutral" from "buy," and lowered its price target to $225 from $270. The analyst believes a number of macro headwinds could challenge the transportation staple's earnings growth this year. Separately, contractors who deliver most FedEx packages via FedEx Ground are threatening to shutter operations right before Black Friday.
FedEx stock was last seen down 2.1% ahead of the open. The is on track for its sixth loss in the last seven trading days, and should today's premarket action hold, FDX is poised to add to its 19.3% deficit in 2022.
More downgrades could be on the way, considering 10 of the 16 analyst covering FDX sported a "buy" or better rating, with not a single "sell" on the books. Meanwhile, the equity's consensus 12-month price target of $290.41 is a 41.4% premium to last night's close.
Options traders are more pessimistic towards the stock. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the security sports 10- and 50-day put/call volume ratios that rank in the 74th and 78th percentile, respectively, from the past year.
The good news for options traders is that premium is affordable. FedEx stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 22% sits in the 23rd percentile of its annual range. This means option traders are pricing in relatively low volatility expectations at the moment.