Analysts, Call Traders Blitz Uber After Earnings

Calls are tremendously popular today as a result

While U.S. equities take a breather, one stock bucking the broad market pullback is Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER). The ride share concern is up 6.5% to trade at $39.51, after the company reported an adjusted fourth-quarter loss of 64 cents on $4.07 billion in revenue, both beating analyst forecasts. While Uber expects to lose more than $1 billion this year, it also predicted it would become profitable by the end of the fourth quarter in 2020; a goal previously anticipated for 2021.

Analysts are rushing to adjust their ratings in response. MKM Partners upgraded the stock to "buy" and its price target to $45. At least eight other brokerages issued price-target hikes, the highest coming from Canaccord Genuity to $55 from $50, who also said it sees 2020 as a "transformational year" for Uber. RBC was the only outlier, trimming its price target to $59 from $64.

The bull notes are impressive considering most analysts are already in that camp. Heading into today, 28 out of 34 rated UBER a "buy" or better, with zero "sells" on the books. Plus, the consensus 12-month price target of $47.33 was already a 20.3% premium to last night's closing perch at $37.09.

On the charts, UBER is now set to open at its highest point since Aug. 9. Since bottoming at $25.58 on Nov. 6, the shares have now tacked on 54%, with their 20-day moving average containing pullbacks along the way.

Options traders are getting in on the fun today. In just the first hour of trading, over 82,000 call options have changed hands, nine times the average intraday amount and more than four times the number of puts traded. Leading the charge is the March 35 call, but there are also new positions being opened at the weekly 2/14 40.50-strike call.