Earnings-related stock moves have been smaller this season in comparison with the average over the past 12 quarters, according to data from options research company ORATS.
The dampened earnings-related moves have benefited options sellers, who profit when the change in share price is smaller than expected.Options traders have priced in more volatility for broader exchange-traded funds. Implied volatility on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, which shows expectations for future stock swings, has climbed since mid-January, according to data from Trade Alert. That rise coincides with mounting concerns over the potential economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
Moreover, risks from the virus outbreak are beginning to spill over into earnings commentary. Companies such as Starbucks Corp, Levi Strauss & Co and Oreos maker Mondelez International Inc have warned of a financial hit from the outbreak. As such remarks pile up, they could also bump up volatility among shares of certain companies, Gottlieb said.
Options for several S&P 500 companies reporting next week - including Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, Twitter Inc and Coty Inc - show a gap of several percentage points between investors' expectations for share moves and past share performance after quarterly reports.