Zoom Video Communications (ZM) Remains a Top Performer in Today’s Markets

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.

Zoom Video was criticized a few months back for security and other concerns, but nevertheless, the stock continued higher. It looks even more appealing now as the company continues to gain market share and the prior concerns are no longer weighing on the company’s stock price. Several analysts share the same bullish outlook, here are two of them – Here’s Why Zoom Stock Has Been Soaring — and What to Expect Going Forward and Hedge Funds Have Never Been This Bullish On Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (ZM).

Technicals

From a technical perspective, ZM has been held higher by a rising trendline for most of the year. The stock tested this trendline in the past week and in a matter of days it was on the verge of breaking to an all-time high. The stock has been well bought on dips in general and the momentum is firm to the upside. The $180 level could prove to be a short-term hurdle but there is little reason to believe this stock will not break to all-time highs.

ZM Chart June 2020

If you agree there’s further upside ahead for ZM, consider this trade which is a bet that the stock will continue to advance over the next five weeks, or at least not decline very much.

Buy To Open ZM 10JUL20 177.5 Puts (ZM200710P177.5)
Sell To Open ZM 10JUL20 180 Puts (ZM200710P180) for a credit of $1.33 (selling a vertical)

This price was $0.02 less than the mid-point of the option spread when ZM was trading near $180.  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 $131.70 and your broker would charge a $250 maintenance fee, making your investment $118.30 ($250 – $131.70).  If ZM closes at any price above $180 on July 10, both options would expire worthless, and your return on the spread would be 111% (1266% annualized).

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

IBD Underlying Updates May 30, 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