American International Group Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:AIG)

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE:AIG) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock traders bought 7,669 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 217% compared to the average daily volume of 2,419 call options.

American International Group Stock Performance

Shares of AIG stock traded up $3.27 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $77.28. The stock had a trading volume of 3,237,589 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,471,589. The firm has a market cap of $40.98 billion, a PE ratio of 13.63, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $75.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $77.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.65. American International Group has a fifty-two week low of $71.25 and a fifty-two week high of $87.29.

American International Group (NYSE:AIG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The insurance provider reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $6.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.03 billion. American International Group had a net margin of 11.86% and a return on equity of 10.93%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.17 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that American International Group will post 7.99 earnings per share for the current year.

American International Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This is a positive change from American International Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. American International Group’s payout ratio is presently 35.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on AIG shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of American International Group from $86.00 to $85.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of American International Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Bank of America lowered their price target on American International Group from $80.00 to $79.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. UBS Group boosted their price target on American International Group from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on American International Group from $97.00 to $86.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $87.78.

Institutional Trading of American International Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AIG. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in American International Group in the fourth quarter worth $1,091,000. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of American International Group by 30.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 5,050 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $432,000 after purchasing an additional 1,185 shares in the last quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC acquired a new position in shares of American International Group during the 2nd quarter worth $217,000. Ieq Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of American International Group by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 244,871 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $20,958,000 after purchasing an additional 25,311 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of American International Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $269,000. 90.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American International Group Company Profile

American International Group, Inc (AIG) is a global insurance holding company that provides a broad range of property-casualty insurance, specialty insurance, and risk management solutions to institutional, commercial and individual customers. Through its operating subsidiaries, AIG underwrites commercial and personal lines products—ranging from general liability, property, and casualty coverages to specialty lines such as professional liability, surety, cyber and marine—along with related services designed to help clients manage and transfer risk.

The company also has a long history in life insurance, retirement solutions and asset management through businesses that have been restructured or separated over time.