HSBC upgraded AMD to "buy" from "hold"
Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) shares are up 3.1% to trade at $142.69 at last check, after an upgrade from HSBC to "buy" from "hold" to go with a price-target hike to $200 from $100. The analyst in coverage noted the company could see significant upside to its artificial intelligence (AI) revenue in 2026.
There is still room for upgrades, with 12 carrying a "hold" rating. What's more, the 12-month consensus target price of $136.57 is a 5.4% discount to current levels, leaving the door wide open for price-target hikes.
AMD -- which hasn't traded at $200 since March 2024 -- is on track for a third-straight win, brushing off broader market weakness amid global trade tensions. The equity sports a 17.9% year-to-date lead, and is not too distant from its June 27, year-to-date high of $147.27.
Short-term options traders lean much more bearish than usual. This is per the security's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR), which sits in the 83rd percentile of annual readings. An unwinding of this pessimism could create additional tailwinds for Advanced Micro Devices stock.
Drilling down to today's options activity, 295,000 calls have already crossed the tape so far today -- double the volume typically seen at this point -- compared to 126,000 puts. Most popular is the weekly 7/11 145-strike call, where new positions are being bought to open.