Twitter has soared 88 percent year to date, and Todd Gordon of TradingAnalysis.com says the social media giant is poised for an even bigger breakout when it reports earnings later this month.
“Twitter’s had an amazing comeback here,” he said Thursday on CNBC’s “Trading Nation.” “We’re heading into earnings on July 27, so I want to put an options trade on for that earnings report.”
Looking at a chart of the social giant, Gordon noted that despite the surge this year, the stock has been in a consolidation phase since hitting a multiyear high in June. However, after it's churned sideways for the last month, the trader says, any move higher could send the stock back to its 2015 high in the $50 range.
To play for a rally in Twitter, Gordon turned to the options market. But because earnings are just around the corner, the implied volatility, or the price of options on the stock, are elevated. So rather than buy call options, Gordon decided to get long via a put credit spread.
Gordon is selling the July 27 weekly 45-strike put and buying the July 27 weekly 40-strike put for a credit of $1.95, meaning that if Twitter closes above $45 on July 27 expiration, the trader would keep the $195 credit as his reward. But should Twitter close below $40 on that day, he could lose $305.
However, shares of Twitter are already trading just above $45, meaning that the stock simply needs to stay above the level for Gordon to make the maximum reward.
The trade: Gordon is suggesting selling the July 27 weekly 45/40 put spread in TWTR for about $1.95 credit.
Bottom line: Gordon sees TWTR rallying above $45 on July 27 expiration.
