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Hawk’s Nest

Unusual Volume in Small-Cap Benefitting from Growth in Hybrid Work Environments

by | Feb 8, 2022

Plantronics (POLY) small-cap seeing unusual flow on 2/8 with 1,000 August $35 calls bought for $3.00 to $3.10, around 25X average. POLY has no other notable open interest. The $1.23B company makes integrated communications and collaborations solutions for enterprise customers including headsets, video conferencing solutions, and other collaborative solutions. Shares trade 8X earnings, 0.68X sales, and 5.9X cash. POLY is coming off a mixed quarter but as supply chain issues abate, they are optimistic into the 2H of 2022 as more offices reopen and many seen as under-equipped for the new hybrid environment with legacy communications technologies that are not cloud-enabled, video enabled, or not compatible with multiple platforms used by clients. POLY benefits from the premiumization of the category with higher priced headsets and voice communications being invested in while refreshes are focusing on Bluetooth and Deck, both of which are higher-margin in the mix. The company sees video as a major driver of growth going forward and area where demand has been most elevated in recent quarters. They continue to see a significant backlog of high-margin products like the X30, X50 and X70. Analysts have an average target for shares of $32.50 with a Street High $37 from MSCO who likes how POLY is positioned within the major capex cycle for businesses around return to work and a refresh of networking equipment. Short interest is 9.5%. Insiders active in the name recently, too, including both the CEO and COO buying in September near $30. Hedge fund ownership rose 2%. On the chart, POLY is forming a weekly bull wedge under $30.50 with a breakout move targeting a run back to $40.