From MoneyBeat:
Options Traders Brace for Swing for Tesla; Declines May Spell Trouble
Options traders are bracing for a doubled-digit swing in shares of Tesla Motors Inc.TSLA -3.63% after it reports first-quarter earnings today. But given how wild the company’s stock has been, that’s not so unusual.
More important for the stocks outlook, says one technical analyst, is that a selloff on earnings could pave the way for more losses to come.
Options pricing implies that Tesla could swing about 10% before the end of the week, based on a neutral strategy known as a “straddle.” A straddle can be profitable if a stock rises or falls more than expected.
That compares to an average 9.6% post-results move over the past three years, and an 11% move the past two years.
Over the last year, the swings have been even more wild, with average price moves of 15%.
“It’s a big earnings mover, no doubt about it,” Mr. Salamone said. “But looking at the May open-interest configuration, there’s not a major directional bias heading into the report. There really isn’t a consensus.”...MORE