Earnings Weakness for SHAK and TPR Stocks Could Hurt Options Traders

November calls were popular on SHAK and TPR

Investors are monitoring earnings releases from Shake Shack Inc (NYSE:SHAK) and Tapestry Inc (NYSE:TPR), and both stocks are sliding in pre-market action. This would be bad news for a number of options traders, since data for both SHAK and TPR shows interest in calls.

For SHAK, the shares are set to open down 17.2%, which would put them below the 200-day moving average for the first time since March. The company said that its GrubHub (GRUB) partnership disrupted its business during the quarter, and it lowered its full-year same-store sales forecast. The equity had already been under pressure in recent months, falling from a September peak around $105 to yesterday's close of $84.21, and a number of price-target cuts this morning are adding extra pressure. A few of these bears are expecting more downside, setting a $60 price target.

Meanwhile, the burger joint's 10-day call/put volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) comes in at 1.79, and ranks in the 70th annual percentile, showing strong demand for call buying in recent weeks. Peak open interest for SHAK was at the November 90 call.

For TPR, the stock has been volatile before the open, and was last seen down more than 2%. Despite better-than-expected quarterly results, the company's comments about "constrained" business environment in China would be scaring investors, adding that margins at Kate Spade were pressured by tariffs. Tapestry stock was already down 21.4% in 2019, settling at $26.52 yesterday.

Still, the Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) for TPR comes in at 0.64, and ranks in the 29th annual percentile, showing a notable call-skew among near-term traders. Most notably, there's peak open interest at the November 30, where heavy buy-to-open activity can be confirmed, as bulls were betting on a breakout above $30.