Don’t get too wrapped up in following the price trend in IBM after the close tonight as the blue chip company has a tendency to reverse gains or losses from the after-hours to the next day’s close following an earnings event.
IBM favors a long-term reversal pattern in its session-to-session performance, crossing narrower next-day percentage closing levels following after-hours earnings events in 12 of the last 20 quarters. In the near-term, the stock favors narrowing as well, cutting back or reversing its evening performance in next-day trade in three of the last four quarters.
MT Pro subscribers can listen to the video alert posted for today to get Steve Hill’s detailed commentary on IBM (plus a recap of Intel’s earnings event) in advance of the earnings news due out after the bell tonight.
Basically, consider a short if the stock rises in the after-hours and a long if it falls. Either way, it’s likely to reverse the trend from the after-hours to the close tomorrow. Set a stop loss at no more than a 1% loss on the trade.
Take a look at the historical reaction data we’ve collected over the past few years and you’ll get a sense of the trend.
On April 20, 2009, the stock fell 1.3% after an earnings beat, revenue
miss and reaffirmed guidance. Shares rebounded to gain 1.8% the next
day.
On Jan. 20, 2009, IBM advanced 4.2% in evening trade after reporting
better-than-expected results and guidance. The stock went even higher
the next day, rising 11.5% in the Jan. 21 regular session.
On Oct. 16, 2008, IBM advanced 2.3% in after-hours action after besting
earnings expectations. The gain evaporated the next day as IBM closed
the Oct. 17 regular session down 0.8%.
On July 17, 2008, IBM declined 0.5% in after-hours trade after topping
Q2 expectations. The stock reversed course the next day, and IBM
closed with a 2.6% gain on July 18.
On April 16, 2008, IBM gained 2.7% in after-hours trade after beating
Q1 expectations. That upside was cut back in the April 17 regular
session, with IBM ending the day up a slimmer 2.1%.
On Jan. 14, 2008, IBM pre-announced better-than-expected Q4 results
in pre-market trade and the stock advanced 8% before the bell. It
edged back from that upside in the following regular session, holding a
5.4% rise into the Jan. 14 closing bell.
