Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD): Still More Room to Advance?

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After closing above $7 for the first time since April 2012, shares of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) are at a critical breakout juncture on the chart.

Whether AMD breaks out or fakes out is anyone’s guess. By using a covered call strategy, however, you can position to profit for an upside breakout while still protecting some of your downside exposure.

Certainly there is no arguing that AMD stock has been on a tear recently, having risen a whopping 250% off the February 2016 lows.

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Much of the move was predicated on back-to-back earnings beats, along with a bull market in the higher-end custom chip and processor market certainly fueling the gains. Mergers and takeovers have also been evident in the space as well.

AMD is looking a little weary at these levels, with a consolidation period since making an intraday high of $7.16 on July 26.

The consolidation has helped work off the overbought condition, with the 14-day RSI now showing a more neutral 66 reading.

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The ascending triangle formation, with a series of higher lows within the consolidation period, is normally a bullish continuation pattern. This especially applies to AMD given the magnitude of the recent move.

While the technicals certainly point to an eventual continuation in the rally, the fundamentals paint an even more bullish picture. The new AMD Zen CPU has put the company back in the high-end, higher margin gaming business. The company now poses a serious threat once again to its main rival, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC).

So while remaining bullish on AMD, I also feel the future gains will certainly be at a more tempered pace than the recent near hyperbolic move. So to position bullishly while guarding some of the downside, a covered call trade makes sense.

AMD Stock Trade Idea

Buy AMD stock and sell the Jan $7 call for a $6 net debit.

For each 100 shares bought, sell one of the Jan $7 calls. These calls have a 59 delta, reducing the overall initial exposure on the stock by 59%.

The covered call trade has a 16% standstill return until January expiration (34% return annualized). Ideally AMD closes above $7 at January expiration to maximize the gain.

As of this writing, Tim Biggam did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Anyone interested in finding out more about option-based strategies or for a free trial of the Delta Desk Research Report can email Tim at tbiggam@deltaderivatives.com

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Tim spent 13 years as Chief Options Strategist at Man Securities in Chicago, four years as Lead Options Strategist at ThinkorSwim and three years as a Market Maker for First Options in Chicago. Tim makes weekly appearances on Bloomberg TV  “Options Insight”, Business First AM “Trader Talk”, TD Ameritade Network “Morning Trade Live” and CBOE-TV “Vol 411” to discuss everything from volatility and option related.


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