Electric and gas utility company Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) is up 23% over the past year. One trader is betting the utility will trend even higher in the second half of the year.
That’s based on the December 20 $82.50 calls. With 140 days until expiration, 7,000 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 113, for a 62-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $3.40 to make the bullish bet.
PEG shares recently traded for about $80, so shares would need to rally by $2.50, or about 3.1%, for the option to move in-the-money.
With the stock breaking higher and hitting new all-time highs, a further move higher in the coming months looks likely.
The utility has struggled in the past year, facing a 27% decline in revenues. Earnings are also off by nearly 60%. While earnings have been a miss, revenues are rising year-over-year, which may help drive the stock price higher.
Action to take: Shares are trending higher, and likely have more returns in the months ahead. Buyers of shares here can see low double-digit returns. At current prices, PEG pays a 3.1% dividend.
For traders, the December $82.50 calls have plenty of time to play out, and are likely to move in-the-money in the months ahead. Traders can likely nab high double-digit returns, a fantastic return for a utility stock.
Disclosure: The author of this article has no position in the company mentioned here, but may trade after the next 72 hours. The author receives no compensation from any company mentioned in this article.