Jefferies Sees Another Live Nation Stock Rally Ahead

LYV shares are testing the 160-day moving average

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:LYV) looks like it could be ready to bounce on the charts. After hitting an all-time high of $73.72 on July 26, the shares have gradually pulled back slightly to test the 160-day moving average, as well as a trendline connecting its lows from June and February -- hinting at potential chart support. Analysts at Jefferies certainly see more upside ahead for the stock, which is already up 34.5% in 2019, last seen at $65.83.

Specifically, the brokerage firm began coverage this morning with a "buy" rating and $84 price target, representing nearly 27% upside to yesterday's close of $66.24. This move puts Jefferies in line with most other Wall Street firms, with eight of the 13 covering brokerages handing out "strong buy" recommendations.

In the options pits, there's been interesting call activity in recent weeks. The April 2020 70-strike call has seen the largest increase in open interest during the past 10 days, making this position home to peak open interest for LYV. Data from the major exchanges confirms buy-to-open activity here, meaning speculators are betting on the shares breaking out above $70 in the months ahead.

Short interest remains high on Live Nation, so clearly many are still betting against the equity. As it stands now, short interest accounts for 7.5% of the float, and going by average daily trading volumes, it would take short sellers more than two weeks to coverage. As such, there's potential that short-covering tailwinds could help Live Nation shares.