How might the settlement influence analyst coverage and the short‑term price momentum of OPT?

Analyst coverage – The DFA settlement removes the most material legal head‑wind for Opthea (OPT). Historically, the removal of a pending lawsuit triggers a wave of analyst upgrades and fresh coverage because the “unknown” is now quantified. Expect at least a handful of sell‑side houses to add OPT to their coverage lists or to move the stock from “under‑covered” to “covered” with a neutral‑to‑positive rating. The corporate update will likely be the catalyst for a brief “coverage bump” as analysts publish notes, which in turn fuels institutional buying.

Short‑term price momentum – With the legal uncertainty cleared, the market will re‑price the equity on a cleaner fundamentals base. Technically, OPT has been hovering near its 20‑day moving average (≈ $0.12) and has formed a modest ascending triangle on the daily chart, suggesting a latent breakout. The settlement news should provide the catalyst to push the price through the current resistance around $0.14‑$0.15, especially if accompanied by analyst upgrades and a modest volume surge. However, given the modest sentiment score (45) and the stock’s relatively low float, the rally could be short‑lived; profit‑taking may appear near the $0.15‑$0.16 range, which also aligns with the 50‑day SMA.

Actionable take‑away – Consider a buy on the dip if OPT pulls back to the 20‑day SMA ($0.12‑$0.13) with a tight bid‑ask spread and volume above its 10‑day average. Target the $0.15‑$0.16 resistance as the near‑term upside, but be prepared to trim half the position if the price stalls below $0.14 or if the volume surge dissipates, indicating the momentum is fading. Keep an eye on any analyst upgrades released in the next 48 hours, as they will likely add the final push to the short‑term rally.