1 Stock To Buy, 1 To Dump When Markets Open: AMC, Virgin Galactic

Between another batch of notable earnings reports in the coming week from companies like Disney (NYSE:DIS), PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL), Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR), and Nio (NYSE:NIO), as well as more important economic data, including the latest U.S. inflation reports, the week ahead is expected to be a busy one.

Regardless of which direction the market goes, below we highlight one stock likely to be in demand in the coming days and another which could see fresh losses. 

Remember though, our timeframe is just for the upcoming week.

AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:AMC)—which continues to generate strong interest amongst young traders thanks to its ‘meme stock’ status—could see its shares benefiting from increased buying activity this week, as the world’s largest movie-theater chain prepares to release its latest earnings report.

Consensus expectations call for a loss of $0.53 per share when AMC delivers third quarter results after the U.S. market closes on Monday, Nov. 8, improving substantially from a loss per share of $8.41 in the challenging year-ago period.

Revenue is forecast to jump a whopping 500% year-over-year to $717.1 million, as movie-goers across the globe flocked back to its theaters in greater numbers amid easing pandemic-related restrictions.

Beyond the top- and bottom-line numbers, investors will be keen to hear commentary from chief executive Adam Aron on the post-earnings call regarding his outlook for the current quarter and beyond. Aron previously said AMC could post positive cash flow as soon as the fourth quarter, if the domestic box office reaches at least $5.2 billion.

Market players will also be eager to see what further steps the movie-theater operator plans to take as it positions itself for a digital era, including new payment options such as Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Shiba Inu.

Options traders are pricing in a big move for AMC shares following the results, with a possible implied move of about 15.5% in either direction.

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AMC stock, which started the year at $2.12 and soared all the way to its 52-week high of $72.62 in early June, ended at $41.70 on Friday, earning the Leawood, Kansas-based movie theater operator a valuation of around $21.4 billion.

Despite the intense volatility, AMC shares have gained more than 1,800% year-to-date, far outpacing the comparable returns of both the Dow and the S&P 500, thanks to their extreme popularity with retail investors on Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) and Reddit's WallStreetBets forum.

h2 Stock To Dump: Virgin Galactic/h2

Virgin Galactic Holdings (NYSE:SPCE) stock—which recently slumped to a six-month low—is expected to suffer another volatile week as investors brace for disappointing financial results from the Richard Branson-led space tourism company.

Analyst estimates call for the beleaguered Las Cruces, New Mexico-based space travel firm to post a loss of $0.27 per share on revenue of $1.43 million when it reports third quarter numbers after the closing bell on Monday, Nov. 8.

Perhaps of greater importance, Virgin Galactic’s update regarding the timing on when it plans to resume its space test program and commercial flights will be in focus.

Virgin Galactic stock has been volatile during earning calls in the past when the space company has updated on its launch timetables. Investors have been anxiously monitoring the status of the company’s test flights as it is a key step needed before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants its approval for commercial space voyages to start.

Based on moves in the options market, traders are pricing in a possible implied move of around 8% in either direction in SPCE shares following the results.

SPCE has been under pressure ever since the company warned last month that it would postpone the start of commercial flights until late 2022. The stock closed Friday’s session at $19.53, nearly 69% below its all-time high of $62.70 touched on Feb. 4. At current levels, the company has a market cap of roughly $5 billion.

Year-to-date, Virgin Galactic shares—which were up by 164% at one point early in 2021—have now lost 17.7% amid growing uncertainty over its quest to take the first travelers to space. The company had previously expected commercial service to start in early 2022.

Written By: Investing.com