Amer Sports Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:AS)

Amer Sports, Inc. (NYSE:AS) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Investors purchased 63,914 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 1,368% compared to the average volume of 4,353 call options.

Amer Sports Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of AS traded down $0.25 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $32.87. The stock had a trading volume of 3,588,642 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,420,747. Amer Sports has a 52-week low of $28.92 and a 52-week high of $42.76. The firm has a market cap of $18.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 2.05. The business’s fifty day moving average is $35.03 and its 200 day moving average is $35.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

Amer Sports (NYSE:AS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 19th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.07. Amer Sports had a net margin of 6.50% and a return on equity of 10.29%. The company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.27 EPS. Amer Sports’s revenue was up 32.1% on a year-over-year basis. Amer Sports has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.180-1.230 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Amer Sports will post 1.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Amer Sports

In related news, insider Wen-Chang (Victor) Chen sold 13,075 shares of Amer Sports stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.62, for a total value of $465,731.50. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 149,821 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,336,624.02. The trade was a 8.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Stuart Haselden sold 215,275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.57, for a total value of $7,657,331.75. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 215,275 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,657,331.75. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 833,580 shares of company stock worth $29,200,266 over the last three months.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amer Sports

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP acquired a new stake in shares of Amer Sports in the fourth quarter valued at $3,927,000. Ogborne Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Amer Sports during the 4th quarter worth $22,257,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Amer Sports during the 4th quarter worth about $70,055,000. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in Amer Sports by 670.1% during the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 118,455 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,424,000 after purchasing an additional 103,074 shares during the period. Finally, Pinnbrook Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Amer Sports in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,549,000. 40.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $52.00 price objective on Amer Sports in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Amer Sports from $59.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Amer Sports in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $51.00 price objective on shares of Amer Sports in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Amer Sports from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $49.70.

About Amer Sports

Amer Sports (NYSE:AS) is a Helsinki-based sporting goods group that designs, develops and markets performance-oriented equipment, apparel and footwear across multiple sports. The company focuses on product innovation, brand-driven marketing and global distribution to serve athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, offering goods for activities such as skiing, running, hiking, tennis, golf and diving.

Amer Sports’ portfolio comprises well-known sports and outdoor brands, including Salomon (outdoor footwear and winter sports), Atomic (alpine skis and ski equipment), Arc’teryx (technical outerwear and climbing gear), Wilson (racquet and ball sports equipment) and Suunto (precision instruments and sports watches).