Comcast Stock Battles for Direction After Earnings Win

The broadcasting firm posted fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded analysts' estimates

The shares of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) are down 1.8% in electronic trading, set to open at $46.62, after the firm's early morning turn in the earnings confessional. The stock was surging earlier, however, signaling speculation on Wall Street is mixed. The broadcasting giant posted impressive fourth-quarter profits of 79 cents per share and $28.40 billion in revenue, exceeding analysts' expectations on both fronts. However, the equity also shared a loss of 10,000 more subscribers than expected for the quarter. Regardless, the media name is continuing with plans for its own foray into the streaming market, with its upcoming Peacock service set to debut on July 15.

Comcast has seen an impressive climb on the charts in the past couple months, with support emerging at its 10-day moving average. Today, CMCSA is utilizing the $46 floor, region, a realm of support for the shares as recent asSeptember. Long term, the equity has added 36% over the past 12 months.

While analysts have yet to chime in on today's earnings beat, most in coverage are already bullish on CMCSA. Fifteen of the 19 covering the stock call it a "buy" or better, with a consensus 12-month price target of $51.06 -- a 7.6% premium to last night's close.

Sentiment in the options pits has also been bullish, with 42,173 calls crossing the tape in the last 10 days, compared to just 10,625 puts. Echoing this is the stock's Schaeffer's open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.74, which ranks in the 7th percentile of its annual range. This suggests short-term options players have rarely been more call-heavy during the last 12 months.