Beyond Meat Stock Eyes Worst Day Since June

The shares are down almost 15% in electronic trading

Beyond Meat Inc (NASDAQ:BYND) stock is bracing for a 14.7% drop out of the gate, after the plant-based burger maker announced a secondary stock offering roughly three months after its initial public offering (IPO) in order to fund the construction of more manufacturing facilities. This is offsetting a big second-quarter revenue beat of $67.3 million (compared to the $52.71 million consensus estimate) and an upwardly revised full-year revenue forecast.

Analysts have been quick to chime in this morning. J.P. Morgan Securities raised its price target to $188 from $121, saying the company is still a beat-and-raise story, and that "fundamental momentum may matter more than valuation" in the near term. BYND stock also received price-target hikes from Bernstein (to $172) and Consumer Edge (to $131), though all three sit well below last night's close at $222.13.

While analysts have been lukewarm toward Beyond Meat -- all five in coverage maintain a "neutral" rating -- options traders have been bullish. Over the past 10 days at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), speculators have bought to open 1.35 calls for each put.

Drilling down, the weekly 8/2 300-strike and August 300 calls have seen the biggest increases in open interest over this two-week time frame. Those buying to open positions here expect Beyond Meat to be above $300 by expiration at the close this Friday, Aug. 2, and the close on Friday, Aug. 16, respectively.

Beyond Meat stock has been red-hot since its early May IPO, up almost 383% from its May 2 open at $46 to Monday night's close. Should today's pre-market losses hold, it would mark BYND's worst day since June 11, when it slumped 25%, and its first pair of back-to-back losses since mid-July,