Ferroglobe Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:GSM)

Ferroglobe PLC (NASDAQ:GSM) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors bought 3,346 call options on the company. This is an increase of 194% compared to the typical volume of 1,138 call options.

Key Headlines Impacting Ferroglobe

Here are the key news stories impacting Ferroglobe this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Trade enforcement and energy deal should help 2026 outlook — management highlighted EU ferroalloy safeguard measures and positive momentum in the U.S. silicon-metal trade case, plus a new 10‑year French energy contract that reduces cost volatility and supports competitiveness. Ferroglobe Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and adjusted metrics showed pockets of strength — Q4 sales beat consensus and adjusted EBITDA was positive at $14.6M; management reiterated a stronger 2026 outlook. These operational datapoints help explain buyer interest. Ferroglobe PLC Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increased — company raised the quarterly cash dividend ~7% to $0.015/share, signaling management confidence and returning cash to shareholders. (Payable Mar 30; record Mar 23.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / transcripts available — several call transcripts and writeups were published (useful for details and management color). Ferroglobe (GSM) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript (Yahoo) Ferroglobe PLC (GSM) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript (Seeking Alpha)
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity — elevated call buying was reported (daily call volume ~194% above typical), indicating speculative or directional bullish interest from traders.
• Negative Sentiment: Large GAAP net loss and EPS miss — Q4 net loss attributable to the parent was $81.0M (GAAP diluted loss ~$0.43/sh), and full‑year results remain well below 2024 levels; these headline losses weigh on valuation and sentiment. Globe Specialty Metals (GSM) Reports Q4 Loss, Tops Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Energy and production issues pressured margins — raw materials & energy consumption rose sharply (including a ~$40M fair‑value loss on long‑term French energy contracts) and temporary furnace curtailments reduced fixed‑cost absorption. These items hurt GAAP profitability and free cash flow. Ferroglobe Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Cash flow and net debt movements — total cash of $123M is healthy, but adjusted gross debt increased and net debt widened sequentially to ~$29.8M; Q4 operating cash flow was a small outflow. Monitor cash generation as markets normalize. Ferroglobe PLC (GSM) Releases Q4 2025 Earnings: Revenue Beat but EPS Miss

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Ferroglobe in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded Ferroglobe from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen cut Ferroglobe from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 16th. Finally, B. Riley Financial cut their price objective on Ferroglobe from $8.00 to $6.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ferroglobe currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $6.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Ferroglobe in the second quarter worth about $27,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in Ferroglobe in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ferroglobe by 66.1% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 7,902 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 3,146 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of Ferroglobe by 1,017,300.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 10,174 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 10,173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ferroglobe in the second quarter valued at $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.64% of the company’s stock.

Ferroglobe Stock Performance

NASDAQ:GSM opened at $5.02 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $4.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $936.88 million, a P/E ratio of -5.46 and a beta of 1.09. Ferroglobe has a 12-month low of $2.97 and a 12-month high of $5.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

Ferroglobe (NASDAQ:GSM) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The basic materials company reported ($0.06) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.01. Ferroglobe had a negative return on equity of 8.38% and a negative net margin of 12.78%.The business had revenue of $329.38 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $293.60 million. Equities research analysts forecast that Ferroglobe will post 0.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferroglobe Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.015 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 23rd. This is a positive change from Ferroglobe’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. This represents a $0.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Ferroglobe’s dividend payout ratio is -8.11%.

Ferroglobe Company Profile

Ferroglobe PLC is a leading producer of specialty metals and alloys, serving a diverse range of industrial customers worldwide. The company’s core operations focus on the manufacture of silicon metal, silicon-based alloys, manganese-based alloys and rare earth alloys, which are essential inputs for the aluminum, steel, chemical and electronics industries. Ferroglobe’s product portfolio includes high-purity silicon, ferrosilicon, silicon manganese, manganese alloys and various recarburizers used to enhance metal strength, durability and conductivity.

With production facilities located across North America, Europe, South America and Africa, Ferroglobe maintains a global footprint that allows it to supply customers on multiple continents.