Prime Time to Play PepsiCo Pullback

The drink stock tends to outperform in the April-July period

Beverage giant PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) touched a record high of $123.19 on March 27, barreling through former resistance in the $120-$122 neighborhood. Since then, that area - also home to a 10% year-to-date gain -- has switched roles to provide support, and PEP's recent pullback from all-time peaks presents an opportunity to get in on the stock's next leg higher. What's more, seasonality favors the bulls, as the equity tends to shine in the April-July period.

Despite the stock's outperformance of late, Wall Street remains wary of PEP, as evidenced by a 48% spike in short interest since February. Plus, nearly 60% of covering analysts maintain tepid "hold" opinions, leaving the door wide open for future upgrades to lure more buyers to the table. In that same vein, the consensus 12-month price target of $118.35 represents a discount to the soda stock's current price, suggesting price-target hikes could be on the horizon.

An exodus of option bears could also propel PEP higher. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the stock's 10-day put/call volume ratio of 1.19 is in the 94th percentile of its annual range, pointing to a healthier-than-usual appetite for long puts over calls in the past two weeks.

Subscribers to Schaeffer's Weekend Trader options recommendation service received this PEP commentary on Sunday night, along with a detailed options trade recommendation -- including complete entry and exit parameters. Learn more about why Weekend Trader is one of our most popular options trading services.