On Thursday, DRI – whose brands include Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille – reported earnings that blew out expectations on both revenue and profits. The company also announced that its dividend would more than double along with a $500 million share repurchase program. The news was warmly greeted by the Street, which showered the dine-in chain conglomerate with a slew of target price increases that ranged as high as $165 (the stock closed Friday at $149). The shares gained more than 11% in the two days following the earnings news, hitting yet another all-time high on Friday.

To say DRI is in rally mode would be a gross understatement. Since bottoming last April, the stock has rocketed 245% higher. Already this year, DRI has gained 25%. The rally has proceeded largely along DRI’s 20-day moving average, with the 50-day moving average lending support on pullbacks. With strong fundamentals in place and a recent uptick in same-store sales, there’s ample reason to believe the rally should continue as customers return to DRI’s varied dining rooms.

DRI Chart March 2021

If you agree that DRI’s rally has legs, consider the following trade that relies on the stock remaining above $145 through expiration in eight weeks.

Buy to Open DRI 21May21 140 Put (DRI210521P140)
Sell to Open DRI 21May21 145 Put (DRI210521P145) for a credit of $1.90 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.05 less than the mid-point of the option spread when DRI was trading just below $149. Unless the stock rallies quickly from here, you should be able to get close to this amount.

Your commission on this trade will be only $1.30 per spread.  Each spread would then yield $188.70. This trade reduces your buying power by $500 and makes your investment $311.30 ($500 – $188.70).  If DRI closes above $145 on May 21, both options will expire worthless and your return on the spread would be 61% ($188.70 / $311.30).

As with all investments, you should only make option trades with money that you can truly afford to lose.

Happy trading,

Terry

SBUX received an upgrade and price target increase from Wedbush on Friday. The analyst believes the coffee purveyor will exceed its 2021 earnings-per-share range as it better adapts to the pandemic environment with lower drive-thru wait times. Moreover, the company is positioning for a post-COVID world with an enhanced menu that should leverage its strength in China and the U.S.

Despite the endorsement, the stock dropped more than 1% to log its third straight losing day after hitting an all-time high on Tuesday. But the intermediate-term pattern shows a series of higher highs and lows for the past three months. If this pattern holds, the current decline should find a bottom in the 104-105 area, which is also the site of the 50-day moving average.

SBUX Chart March 2021

If you agree that SBUX’s stairstep uptrend will continue, consider the following trade that relies on the stock remaining above $105 through expiration in four weeks.

Buy to Open SBUX 16Apr21 100 Put (SBUX210416P100)
Sell to Open SBUX 16Apr21 105 Put (SBUX210416P105) for a credit of $1.35 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.02 less than the mid-point of the option spread when SBUX was trading at $106.34. Unless the stock rallies quickly from here, you should be able to get close to this amount.

Your commission on this trade will be only $1.30 per spread.  Each spread would then yield $133.70. This reduces your buying power by $500 and makes your investment $366.30 ($500 – $133.70).  If SBUX closes above $105 on April 16, both options will expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 37% ($133.70 / $366.30).

As with all investments, you should only make option trades with money that you can truly afford to lose.

Happy trading,

Terry

SE is an online gaming and multimedia entertainment company based in Singapore. The company reported earnings in early March that missed estimates on earnings but beat on revenue on a 72% increase from a year earlier while Q4 bookings more than doubled. The stock initially popped following the day of the report but finished flat. SE was then caught up in the tech pullback that pulled the shares 28% lower in just three weeks.

That’s the bad news. The much better news is that the shares found solid support at their 20-week moving average, a trendline that was the site of a reversal higher almost exactly a year ago. The 20-week has been instrumental in guiding the stock on a monster rally that has produced an 8-fold increase in the past year. The recent correction, while dramatic, appears to be done as the stock has gained 14% off the bottom in just the past four days. In short, the rally remains intact and looks to have legs.

SE Chart March 2021

If you agree that SE’s uptrend will continue, consider the following trade that relies on the stock remaining above $220 through expiration in five weeks.

Buy to Open SE 16Apr21 210 Put (SE210416P210)
Sell to Open SE 16Apr21 220 Put (SE210416P220) for a credit of $3.90 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.10 less than the mid-point of the option spread when SE was trading at $235. Unless the stock rallies quickly from here, you should be able to get close to this amount.

Your commission on this trade will be only $1.30 per spread.  Each spread would then yield $388.70. This reduces your buying power by $1,000 and makes your investment $611.30 ($1,000 – $388.70).  If SE closes above $220 on April 16, both options will expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 63% ($388.70 / $611.30), or 611% annualized.

As with all investments, you should only make option trades with money that you can truly afford to lose.

Happy trading,

Terry

It wasn’t that long ago that KSS was given up for dead. At the bottom of last year’s plunge in late March, the stock bottomed out below $11. Retail was in trouble. Today, the stock is up five-fold after a blowout earnings report this past week. Earnings more than doubled the analyst estimate. And though revenue declined, the final tally beat estimates as well. And earnings in the year ahead also exceeded analyst expectations.

Despite KSS’s recent performance, the analyst community remains skeptical. While there were several target prices increases, the new prices were not that far from the current price. Moreover, there were no upgrades. Just a third of the covering analysts rate KSS a buy, which is hard to justify given that the stock is up 36% this year alone (SPY is up less than 3%). As analysts eventually warm to the shares, there is plenty of room for future upgrades that could give the stock a boost.

KSS’s chart shows the 20-day moving average as the primary support trendline. In fact, there have been just three daily closes below the 20-day in the past four months. Note that the short strike of our credit spread (red line below) lies below the 20-day, so the stock would have to pierce this support for the spread to move into the money.

KSS Chart March 2021

If you agree KSS’s uptrend will continue, consider the following trade that relies on the stock remaining above $52.50 through expiration in six weeks.

Buy to Open KSS 16Apr21 50 Put (KSS210416P50)
Sell to Open KSS 16Apr21 52.5 Put (KSS210416P52.5) for a credit of $0.85 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.02 less than the mid-point of the option spread when KSS was trading at $55.69. Unless the stock rallies quickly from here, you should be able to get close to this amount.

Your commission on this trade will be only $1.30 per spread.  Each spread would then yield $83.70. This reduces your buying power by $250 and makes your investment $166.30 ($250 – $83.70).  If KSS closes above $52.50 on April 16, both options will expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 50% ($83.70 / $166.30), or 436% annualized.

As with all investments, you should only make option trades with money that you can truly afford to lose.

Happy trading,

Terry

DELL reported quarterly results Thursday after the bell that easily beat expectations on both revenue and earnings. The company shipped more than 50 million PCs in 2020, a record high, taking advantage of the higher demand for home-based activities amid the pandemic. In response, several analysts raised their price targets, ranging up to $101, $20 higher than Friday’s close.

The strong results kept DELL’s stock price headed in the right direction. For the week, the stock ticked slightly higher, which is impressive given the Nasdaq’s 5% plunge. In the intermediate term, the stock has been riding along its rising 20-day moving average since crossing above it more than three months ago. Note that the short strike of our credit spread (red line below) lies below the 20-day and the recent lows near $78, so this dual support would need to break for the spread to move into the money.

DELL Chart March 2021

If you agree DELL’s uptrend will continue, or at least stay above $78, consider the following trade that relies on the stock remaining above $77.50 through expiration in seven weeks.

Buy to Open DELL 16Apr21 75 Put (DELL210416P75)
Sell to Open DELL 16Apr21 77.5 Put (DELL210416P77.5) for a credit of $0.90 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.03 less than the mid-point of the option spread when DELL was trading near $81. Unless the stock rallies quickly from here, you should be able to get close to this amount.

Your commission on this trade will be only $1.30 per spread.  Each spread would then yield $88.70. This reduces your buying power by $250 and makes your investment $161.30 ($250 – $88.70).  If DELL closes above $77.50 on April 16, both options will expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 55% ($88.70 / $161.30), or 408% annualized.

As with all investments, you should only make option trades with money that you can truly afford to lose.

Happy trading,

Terry