Amazon is set to report earnings next Thursday after the market closes, and the options market is implying a relatively large post-earnings move for the stock. One derivative strategist said the move is expected to be quite notable.
"Investors are really nervous about this stock, just in terms of how big the movement could be," Stacey Gilbert, head of derivative strategy at Susquehanna, told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. Here are her reasons.
• The options market is implying a move of about 7 to 8 percent on its earnings report. This is high relative to its average post-earnings move of around 5 percent. Amazon's last earnings report, in October, saw an initial move higher of over 7 percent.
• The move is likely to be bullish, but investors are bracing for the sheer magnitude of the options market's implied move.
• The bullish options buying is driving up this volatility, but the sentiment continues to appear positive despite the rather volatile expectations.
• As the stock is already up a hefty 20 percent year to date, it's not entirely surprising to see investors utilizing options to express their opinions heading into this earnings report.
Bottom line: Investors are expecting a significant move post-earnings for Amazon shares.
