Netflix (NFLX) Regains Upward Momentum

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.

NFLX rallied to a six-week high in the past week and shows the potential to continue higher. The following two articles outline reasons why the stock could continue the momentum – Hooking Up or Locking Down, Netflix Poised to Win Either Way, and Netflix (NFLX) Back in Rally Mode After Brief Correction.

Technicals

NFLX has rallied above a horizontal level near $510, which hints that the correction from mid-July to mid-August may have ended. The same level contained an earlier range and may now act as support on near-term declines. There is further support from the lower boundary of a trend channel that has encompassed the price action since March.

NFLX Chart August 2020

If you agree there’s further upside ahead for NFLX, consider this trade, which relies on the stock remaining above the 520 level during the next five weeks:

Buy To Open NFLX 2OCT20 515 Puts (NFLX201002P515)
Sell To Open NFLX 2OCT20 520 Puts (NFLX201002P520) for a credit of $3.30 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.02 less than the mid-point of the option spread when NFLX was trading near $524. 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 $328.70. This reduces your buying power by $500 and makes your investment $171.30 ($500 – $328.70).  If NFLX closes above $520 on October 2, both options will expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 192% ($328.70 / $171.30), or 2,190% annualized.

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

IBD Underlying Updates August 29, 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