Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) Rating Increased to Buy at Benchmark

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) was upgraded by analysts at Benchmark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The brokerage currently has a $44.00 target price on the oil and natural gas company’s stock. Benchmark’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 13.52% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays lowered their target price on Antero Resources from $46.00 to $41.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Antero Resources from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered Antero Resources from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Antero Resources from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Antero Resources presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.67.

Antero Resources Trading Up 2.6%

Shares of NYSE AR opened at $38.76 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $34.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.58. Antero Resources has a 52-week low of $29.10 and a 52-week high of $44.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.19 and a beta of 0.52.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.13. Antero Resources had a return on equity of 6.71% and a net margin of 12.02%.The company had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.48 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 20.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Antero Resources will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Antero Resources

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 91.3% during the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 656 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 313 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Antero Resources in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Antero Resources in the third quarter valued at $30,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Antero Resources by 59.2% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 928 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 345 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Antero Resources by 114.2% during the second quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 938 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. 83.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Antero Resources

Antero Resources Corporation is an independent exploration and production company focused on the development of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and oil properties in the Appalachian Basin of the United States. The company’s operations target the Marcellus and Utica shales, where it applies advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize recovery from its large acreage position. Antero’s portfolio encompasses significant reserves of ethane, propane and other NGLs, alongside dry gas volumes that are positioned to serve both domestic and export markets.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Antero Resources holds approximately 1.8 million net acres of leasehold interests across parts of West Virginia and Ohio.