Horizon Therapeutics (HZNP) Has More Than Doubled in 2020

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.

HZNP has gained 120% YTD and several analysts expect it will continue to march higher. Check out the following two reports for several reasons why the company is likely to remain in demand – 5 Reasons to Invest in Horizon Therapeutics Amid Coronavirus and Hedge Funds Never Been This Bullish On Horizon Therapeutics (HZNP).

Technicals

When stocks are in a strong bullish trend, there are often periods of consolidation that are followed by a continuation higher. HZNP shows exactly this pattern as the stock consolidated in a sideways range for six weeks before finally breaking higher in the past week. The same $76 price point that previously acted as resistance has acted as support following the bullish range breakout which is also a positive sign. In the event the stock dips below $76, there is strong support from a rising trendline that has been in play for nearly six months.

HZNP Chart September 2020

If you agree there’s further upside ahead for HZNP, consider this trade which relies on the stock remaining above $80 through the expiration on October 16.

Buy To Open HZNP 16OCT20 75 Puts (HZNP201016P75)
Sell To Open HZNP 16OCT20 80 Puts (HZNP201016P80) for a credit of $2.13 (selling a vertical)

This credit is $0.02 less than the mid-point of the option spread when HZNP was trading near $80.  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 $211.70. This reduces your buying power by $500 and makes your investment $288.30 ($500 – $211.70).  If HZNP closes at any price above $80 on October 16, both options will expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 73% ($211.70 / $288.30), or 1066% annualized.

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

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