GeoPark Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:GPRK)

GeoPark Limited (NYSE:GPRK) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Traders acquired 2,044 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 3,550% compared to the typical volume of 56 call options.

GeoPark Trading Up 9.3 %

Shares of GeoPark stock traded up $0.97 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $11.38. The stock had a trading volume of 362,814 shares, compared to its average volume of 397,509. The stock has a market cap of $582.20 million, a PE ratio of 5.78 and a beta of 1.37. GeoPark has a 12 month low of $7.24 and a 12 month high of $11.39. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $8.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.23.

GeoPark (NYSE:GPRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The oil and gas company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.59 by ($0.11). GeoPark had a return on equity of 57.93% and a net margin of 14.97%. The company had revenue of $159.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $156.99 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that GeoPark will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

GeoPark Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be given a dividend of $0.147 per share. This represents a $0.59 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. GeoPark’s payout ratio is currently 29.95%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of GPRK. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in GeoPark during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of GeoPark during the second quarter valued at $34,000. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of GeoPark in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in GeoPark in the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in GeoPark during the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors own 68.21% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised GeoPark from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of GeoPark from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 30th.

About GeoPark

GeoPark Limited operates as an oil and natural gas exploration and production company primarily in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and other Latin American countries. It engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas reserves. The company was formerly known as GeoPark Holdings Limited and changed its name to GeoPark Limited in July 2013.