Procter & Gamble Stock Eyes Record Highs After Upgrade

PG has rallied hard of its early May lows

The shares of Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) are up 0.9% in electronic trading, set to open near a new record high after BofA-Merrill Lynch upgraded the Dow component to "buy" from "neutral." The brokerage firm also lifted its PG price target to $108 from $95 -- a 14% premium to last night's close at $94.03 -- with the analyst in coverage waxing optimistically over the company's consistent sales strength, and believes the momentum will continue in early 2019.

The Dow stock has been on a tear since its May 2 bottom near $70, adding 33% and nabbing a Dec. 4 record high of $94.86. While the stock has lost some steam since then, its short-lived pullback was contained by its 30-day moving average, a trendline that helped usher the shares higher in the third quarter.

Despite the stock's technical tenacity, analysts remain hesitant to jump aboard the bullish bandwagon. Of the 17 brokerages covering PG, 11 rate it a "hold" or "strong sell." What's more, the stock's consensus 12-month price target of $90.13 sits below yesterday's current levels, indicating the equity is ripe for more bull notes in the future.

Traders looking to speculate on PG should consider short-term options. The equity's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) stands at a lofty 90 out of 100, indicating the shares have handily exceeded options traders' volatility expectations in the past year -- a boon to premium buyers.