Options market pricing indicates that Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE:KEYS) may experience an approximate 10% swing in its share price when it reports quarterly results on May 19 after the market close, according to options data compiled by Bloomberg. That level of implied movement ranks among the higher expectations recorded in recent quarters.
Looking back across the last eight earnings announcements, the stock has a split track record relative to what options traders had anticipated. In four of those eight reports, the actual price change exceeded the magnitude suggested by options pricing. In the other four, the share-price moves stayed within the range priced by options contracts.
Several specific past results illustrate that divergence. The most recent earnings release, on February 23, produced a dramatic upside: shares rose 29.1%, substantially higher than the 7.1% implied move derived from options. Conversely, the largest earnings-related decline in the period occurred on February 25, 2025, when the stock fell 12.6% against an implied move of 8.7%.
On the positive side, the August 20, 2024 report delivered the biggest surprise to the upside during this stretch, as the stock jumped 27.5% compared with an implied move of 7.0%. By contrast, the smallest actual reaction recorded in the period happened on May 20, 2025, when shares decreased by just 0.1% while options implied a 6.9% move.
The current roughly 10% implied move is above the more typical recent range, which has generally fallen between 6.5% and 8.7% ahead of prior quarters. Market participants watching Keysight around the upcoming report will likely focus on whether the company’s results and guidance produce a reaction that aligns with, exceeds, or falls short of options-implied expectations.
What to watch
- Implied volatility suggests a roughly 10% price move around the May 19 earnings report.
- Historical record: four of the last eight earnings events produced moves larger than options implied; four were within expectations.
- Notable past outcomes include a 29.1% jump on Feb. 23 versus a 7.1% implied move, a 27.5% rise on Aug. 20, 2024 versus a 7.0% implied move, a 12.6% fall on Feb. 25, 2025 against an 8.7% implied move, and a 0.1% decline on May 20, 2025 versus a 6.9% implied move.
Investors and options traders will be monitoring the May 19 release closely to see whether Keysight’s outcome falls into the historically typical range of pre-report expectations or deviates substantially in one direction or the other.