Dialing up an earnings trade for Select Comfort
Select Comfort, $SCSS, is the maker of the sleep number bed. Â It started the year off with a bang, rising out of consolidation. Â It paused in a sideways channel in February and then released to the upside. Â Since mid-March it has moved in a tightening symmetrical triangle Today, ahead of earnings after the bell, it is touching the triangle for the 5th time, this time at the top of the triangle. Â A break higher would target a move to 37.50. Â
The RSI is in the bullish zone and rising. Â In fact there is a Positive RSI Reversal in the works, with the lower low in RSI last week without a lower low in the price of the stock. Â This would target a move to 35.20. Â Another bias to the upside. Â The MACD is falling, not supporting the upside. Â It may be bottoming though and remains positive. Â
There is support lower at 33.60 and 32.55 followed by 32.20 and 30.75. Â There is no resistance higher over 35. The reaction to the last 6 earnings reports has been a move of about 10.42% on average or $3.55 making for an expected range of 30.55 to 37.70.
The at-the money May Straddles suggest a similar $3.35 move by Expiry with Implied Volatility at 45% above the June at 36%. Â But there is still over 3 weeks until expiry. Â Short interest is elevated near 8%. Open interest is large at the 32 Put Strike and the 36 Call Strike in May. Â A move towards those levels post earnings may hold there for a bit.
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Trade Idea 1: Buy the May 34/36 Call Spread for $1.00
Trade Idea 2: Buy the May 34/36 1x2 Call Spread for 20 cents.
Trade Idea 3: Buy the May 34/32 Put Spread for $0.95.
Trade Idea 4: Buy the May 34/33-32 split strike 1x2 Put Spread for a 10 cent credit.
Trade Idea 5: Sell the May 32/36 Strangle for a $1.60 credit
#1 and #2 look for a move higher but not above 36, with the large open interest in May. #3 and #4 give downside participation and look for the large open interest at 32 in May to hold it. For the first 4 trades #1 and #3 can be done in most accounts but #2 and #4 must be done in a margin account. Â #5 gives a good range, profitable from 30.40 to 37.60 at may expiry. Â I like #2 best paired with #4 to cover both an up or down move. Â I also like #5.
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