American Tower (AMT) Looks Attractive as Investors Once Again Focus on 5G

This week we are looking at another of the Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) Top 50 List companies.  We use this list in one of our options portfolios to spot outperforming stocks and place option spreads that take advantage of the momentum.

5G was a hot topic among investors ahead of the Coronavirus escalation. Now that the markets are picking up momentum again, companies that stand to gain from this technology are in the spotlight. Take a look at the following article which discusses how AMT stands to gain – 5G Is Still Coming Despite Covid-19. These Are the Stocks Set to Benefit First. Also, have a look at this article – 5G Will Be a Game-Changer for American Tower. It mentions that the stock may see some near-term weakness and that investors should take advantage of that. Interestingly, the stock has shown exactly that as it has pulled back from recent highs since the article was written.

Technicals

Two things stand out in the recent price action for AMT. First, it was able to rally to fresh record highs in April. Although it was brief, it shows strength and provides some confirmation that the uptrend remains intact. The second appeal is that the stock is currently testing its 200-day moving average. This particular indicator was well-respected in late 2019 and managed to hold the stock higher on several tests. It’s one of the more commonly watched moving averages and technical traders will be well aware of its presence.

AMT Chart May 2020

If you agree there’s further upside ahead for AMT, consider this trade which is a bet that the stock will continue to advance over the next five weeks, or at least a little.

Buy To Open AMT 19JUN20 220 Puts (AMT200619P220)
Sell To Open AMT 19JUN20 230 Puts (AMT200619P230) for a credit of $3.48 (selling a vertical)

This price was $0.02 less than the mid-point of the option spread when AMT was trading near $230.  Unless the stock rallies quickly from here, you should be able to get close to this amount.

Your commission on this trade will only be $1.30 per spread.  Each contract would then yield $346.70 and your broker would charge a $1000 maintenance fee, making your investment $653.30 ($1000 – $346.70).  If AMT closes at any price above $230 on June 19, both options would expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 53% (605% annualized).

Changes to Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) Top 50 This Week:

IBD Underlying Updates May 16, 2020

We have found that the Investor’s Business Daily Top 50 List has been a reliable source of stocks that are likely to move higher in the short run.  Recent additions to the list might be particularly good choices for this strategy, and deletions might be good indicators for exiting a position that you might already have on that stock.

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

Happy trading,

Terry