United Microelectronics (UMC) is going to be a risky options trade. Although the foundry specialist — which provides services for high-performance semiconductor applications — is extremely relevant due to the artificial intelligence boom, it’s also a wild play. With UMC stock carrying a 60-month beta of 1.60, it’s significantly more volatile than the benchmark S&P 500.
Yes, fundamentally, United Microelectronics does enjoy a bullish argument. Recently, the company’s second-quarter earnings results saw revenue jump 17% on a year-over-year basis. In addition, gross margin expanded to 32.5%, reflecting substantially improved capacity utilization. Based on this context, it’s perhaps not surprising that UMC stock is up over 160% since its January opener.