Earnings season kicks into gear this week with banks and tech stocks taking center stage. This week we have Bank of America (BAC), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), JP Morgan (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), Citigroup (C), Morgan Stanley (MS), Goldman Sachs (GS), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and ASML Holdings (ASML) all reporting in what shapes as a busy and pivotal week for stocks.
Before a company reports earnings, implied volatility is usually high because the market is unsure about the outcome of the report. Speculators and hedgers create huge demand for the company’s options which increases the implied volatility, and therefore, the price of options.
