Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Burford Capital Put Options (NYSE:BUR)

Burford Capital Limited (NYSE:BUR) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 3,755 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 311% compared to the average daily volume of 914 put options.

Burford Capital Stock Performance

Burford Capital stock traded down $0.01 on Friday, reaching $9.83. 575,713 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,367,493. The company has a current ratio of 14.99, a quick ratio of 14.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Burford Capital has a twelve month low of $8.19 and a twelve month high of $15.73. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $9.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.43. The stock has a market cap of $2.15 billion, a PE ratio of 25.86, a PEG ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 0.59.

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.39). Burford Capital had a net margin of 18.42% and a return on equity of 2.71%. The business had revenue of $69.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $136.03 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Burford Capital will post 1.28 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Burford Capital

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BUR. Capital Advisors Inc. OK grew its position in Burford Capital by 51.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 23,552 shares of the company’s stock worth $210,000 after purchasing an additional 7,952 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of Burford Capital by 3,454.8% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 874,259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,798,000 after buying an additional 849,665 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Burford Capital during the fourth quarter worth about $125,000. Mirabella Financial Services LLP acquired a new stake in Burford Capital during the third quarter worth about $1,316,000. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in Burford Capital during the third quarter valued at about $257,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BUR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 price target (down from $20.00) on shares of Burford Capital in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Burford Capital in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Burford Capital from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, December 21st. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Burford Capital from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Burford Capital has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.00.

Burford Capital Company Profile

Burford Capital (NYSE: BUR) is a leading global finance firm that specializes in litigation and arbitration funding, risk management, and asset recovery. The company provides capital to law firms and corporate clients to finance legal fees and associated costs in commercial disputes. In exchange for funding, Burford shares in any awards or settlements, enabling clients to pursue meritorious claims without bearing upfront legal expenses.

Founded in 2009 by Christopher Bogart, Burford was among the first firms to establish a dedicated litigation finance business.