Initial reports of an Amazon delivery service weighed on FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) and United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) stocks back in October, though Goldman Sachs analysts called the concerns overblown. Today, however, FDX and UPS stocks are once again in the red, amid reports that Amazon.com (AMZN) is planning to roll out "Shipping with Amazon" -- a service that delivers packages from businesses to customers -- in Los Angeles in the next few weeks.
FDX shares are down 1.5% at $235.66, at last check. The stock has dropped more than 14% since its Jan. 18 all-time high of $274.66, and is now testing support atop its 120-day moving average, which contained a pullback in November.
A slew of recent short sellers are likely cheering the drop, as short interest on FedEx surged 25.4% during the most recent reporting period. However, analysts are still in the bullish camp, with 17 of 20 brokerage firms offering up "buy" or better endorsements. Should FDX stock continue its descent, a round of downgrades could exacerbate the selling pressure.
UPS stock was last seen 1.7% lower at $107.42 -- territory not charted since June. The month of February has been particularly brutal for the shares, which gapped massively lower after earnings on Feb. 1. In fact, UPS has dropped 17.3% so far this month, pacing for its worst month since January 2009. Just last month, on Jan. 18, the security notched a record high of $135.53.
It's no surprise, then, to see that short interest on United Parcel Service skyrocketed more than 50% in the past reporting period. In addition, while purchased calls still outnumber puts on an absolute basis, bearish options trading has ramped up in the past two weeks. The stock's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 0.93 on the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) is higher than two-thirds of all other readings from the past year.