Noteworthy Monday Option Activity: SPOT, FIVE, PWSC
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Sep 30 2024
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Five Below Inc Options Trading: Five Below Inc (FIVE) experienced significant options trading activity with 16,273 contracts traded, particularly for the $105 strike call option expiring on November 15, 2024, which accounted for a large portion of its average daily volume.
PowerSchool Holdings Inc Options Trading: PowerSchool Holdings Inc (PWSC) also saw notable options trading with 20,554 contracts, mainly focused on the $22.50 strike put option expiring on November 15, 2024, representing a substantial percentage of its average daily trading volume.
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Analyst Views on FIVE
Wall Street analysts forecast FIVE stock price to fall
19 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
7 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 219.870
Low
132.00
Averages
193.47
High
242.00
Current: 219.870
Low
132.00
Averages
193.47
High
242.00
About FIVE
Five Below, Inc. is a specialty value retailer offering merchandise targeted at the tween and teen demographics. Its assortment of products, including select brands and licensed merchandise. It is engaged in offering a group of products, including leisure, fashion and home, and snacks and seasonal. Leisure includes items such as sporting goods, games, toys, tech, books, electronic accessories, arts and crafts, and party. Fashion and home include items, such as personal accessories, attitude t-shirts, beauty offerings, home goods and storage options. Snack and seasonal include items, such as seasonal goods, greeting cards, candy and other snacks, and beverages. It also offers its merchandise on the Internet, through its fivebelow.com e-commerce Website, offering home delivery and the option to buy online and pick up in store. It also sells its merchandise through on-demand third-party delivery services to enable its customers to shop online and receive convenient delivery.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Significant Traffic Growth: Placer store traffic data indicates that Five Below's traffic doubled from 11.6% in Q4 2025 to 26.6% in Q1 2026, showcasing strong customer attraction that could drive sales growth.
- Optimistic Sales Expectations: Citi Research analyst Paul Lejuez anticipates that Five Below's Q1 comparable store sales will reach 19%, exceeding the company's guidance of 14% to 16% and the consensus estimate of 16.5%, reflecting strong market demand for its products.
- Cost Pressures Impacting Profits: Despite the optimistic sales outlook, increased freight costs associated with the squish dumpling product are expected to pressure profits and gross margins, particularly as rising fuel prices account for 3.5% of COGS.
- Cautious Future Guidance: Lejuez expects that, while the first quarter shows strong performance, Five Below may raise its FY26 comp guidance to 5% to 7%, yet management remains cautious about consumer spending in the second half due to high gas prices affecting discretionary income.
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- Earnings Release Schedule: Five Below will release its Q1 2026 financial results after market close on June 3, 2026, which is expected to provide investors with the latest performance data, aiding analysts in assessing the company's future growth potential.
- Conference Call Timing: The company will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the financial results, which is anticipated to attract significant attention from investors and analysts, thereby enhancing market transparency and trust in its performance.
- Online Webcast: The conference call will be available via live audio webcast on Five Below's investor website, with a replay accessible shortly after the call, ensuring that investors who cannot participate live can still obtain key information, thus improving information accessibility.
- Company Background: Founded in 2002, Five Below is a leading growth retailer offering high-quality products priced between $1 and $5, with over 1,900 stores across 46 states, showcasing strong market expansion capabilities and brand appeal, further solidifying its position in the retail industry.
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- Goldman Sachs Reiterates Buy on Broadcom: Goldman raised Broadcom's price target from $480 to $500, anticipating strong CapEx spending patterns from key customers, indicating that the upcoming earnings report may exceed market expectations.
- Oppenheimer Upgrades Rubrik: Oppenheimer upgraded Rubrik from Perform to Outperform with a price target of $85, based on strong checks from value-added resellers, highlighting the product's competitive strength in the market.
- UBS Upgrades Packaging Corp: UBS upgraded Packaging Corp from Neutral to Buy, expecting the $50/ton price hike to stick, which, combined with high utilization and prior capacity cuts, could add approximately $290 million in annualized EBITDA.
- Deutsche Bank Upgrades Humana: Deutsche Bank believes there is still time to buy shares of Humana, upgrading its rating to Buy, as it anticipates a new rally in managed care organizations that is just beginning.
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- Market Sentiment Decline: Consumer stocks are facing significant sell-offs due to escalating fears surrounding the Iran war, with the SPDR S&P Retail ETF dropping approximately 3.6% on Monday, indicating investor concerns about household spending amidst high oil prices.
- TJX Underperformance: Despite TJX's historical resilience in tough economic times, its stock fell nearly 3%, reflecting pessimism about its future performance, even though it typically excels in managing excess inventory.
- Five Below's Disastrous Performance: The stock of Five Below, which focuses entirely on discretionary products, plummeted around 6.7%, highlighting the impact of tightening consumer spending despite the absence of negative earnings reports.
- Ross Stores' Anomalous Results: Ross Stores, despite reporting strong earnings, saw its stock decline by approximately 5%, making it one of the worst performers in the S&P 500, indicating a lack of market confidence in its future prospects.
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- Consumer Confidence Decline: Rising gasoline prices above $4 per gallon are suppressing consumer spending, leading to sell-offs in traditionally strong retail stocks like TJX and Dollar General, reflecting a pessimistic market sentiment regarding economic prospects.
- Retail ETF Underperformance: The SPDR S&P Retail ETF fell approximately 3.6% on Monday, indicating that even discount retailers and off-price chains have failed to attract investors during tough economic times, exacerbating concerns over consumer goods.
- TJX Stock Decline: Despite typically excelling in downturns, TJX's stock dropped nearly 3%, with Cramer noting that his portfolio holds the stock and is considering buying more after its recent decline, demonstrating confidence in its long-term potential.
- Market Sentiment Impact: Cramer cautioned investors against trading based solely on headlines, arguing that the current market's emotional reaction to war and oil prices may lead to poor investment decisions, particularly in selecting retail stocks.
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- New Toy Drives Growth: Analyst Spencer Hanus highlights that Five Below's new 'squish' toy dumpling is a crucial growth driver, with a projected 26% upside in stock price, reflecting strong market demand for the product.
- Sales Forecast Upgrade: Hanus anticipates that Five Below's same-store sales could reach as high as 20% in Q1, significantly exceeding the market consensus of 16%, indicating that consumer enthusiasm for the new toys is accelerating sales growth.
- Increased Customer Visits: The scarcity of 'squish' toys has notably boosted customer revisit rates at Five Below, as consumers not only frequent stores but also seek out emerging trends, further enhancing the company's competitive position in the market.
- Ongoing Market Attention: Five Below consistently ranks high in Wolfe Research's monthly in-store checks, driven by a fresh product assortment, clean store environments, and energetic customer interactions, showcasing the company's robust performance in the retail sector.
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