Antero Resources Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:AR)

Antero Resources Co. (NYSE:AR) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock traders bought 21,766 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 355% compared to the average volume of 4,785 put options.

Antero Resources Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of Antero Resources stock traded down $0.12 during trading on Monday, reaching $25.34. The stock had a trading volume of 501,373 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,141,316. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company has a market capitalization of $7.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 127.30 and a beta of 3.33. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $28.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $30.17. Antero Resources has a 52 week low of $20.10 and a 52 week high of $36.28.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The oil and natural gas company reported ($0.24) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $978.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $980.20 million. Antero Resources had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 0.45%. Sell-side analysts predict that Antero Resources will post 0.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $38.00 to $34.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Mizuho increased their price target on Antero Resources from $29.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Antero Resources from $36.00 to $32.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Roth Mkm initiated coverage on Antero Resources in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $32.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on Antero Resources in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $33.29.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Yvette K. Schultz sold 50,000 shares of Antero Resources stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.24, for a total value of $1,262,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 248,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,268,682.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 6.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in Antero Resources by 1,311.8% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 960 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 892 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Antero Resources during the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Antero Resources by 35.1% in the 1st quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 1,998 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 519 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 28.0% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,752 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its holdings in Antero Resources by 11.3% during the first quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 3,384 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $98,000 after buying an additional 343 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.04% of the company’s stock.

Antero Resources Company Profile

Antero Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the development, production, exploration, and acquisition of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and oil properties in the United States. It operates in three segments: Exploration and Development; Marketing; and Equity Method Investment in Antero Midstream.