Investors are now betting on higher chip prices
News that the world's biggest chipmaker, Samsung Electronics, will lower semiconductor production is giving Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) a boost today. Wall Street is betting on a recovery for the sector, as the move could boost chip prices and drive positive earnings results.
Last seen up 7.6% to trade at $63.02, Micron Technology stock is again running into pressure at the $64 region, which rejected several rally attempts since August. The equity has added 26% year-to-date, however, and continues to chip away at is 12.7% year-over-year deficit.
Overall options volume is today running at five times the intraday average, with 87,000 calls and 39,000 puts exchanged so far. Most popular is the 4/14 67-strike call, followed by the 64-strike put in the same weekly series, with new positions opening at both.
This denotes a shift in the options pits. Over at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), MU carries a 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.43 that stands higher than 97% of annual readings, suggesting a preference for bearish bets over the last 10 weeks.
Options are affordably priced at the moment, too, making now an opportune time to weigh in the stock's next moves. This is per its Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 37% that ranks higher than just 2% of readings from the past year.