Antero Resources Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:AR)

Antero Resources Co. (NYSE:AR) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors acquired 10,389 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 45% compared to the typical daily volume of 7,153 call options.

Antero Resources Stock Performance

AR traded down $0.22 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $40.80. 1,916,316 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,914,617. The company’s 50-day moving average is $38.26 and its 200 day moving average is $32.84. Antero Resources has a 52 week low of $24.53 and a 52 week high of $41.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.70 billion, a PE ratio of 127.25 and a beta of 3.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.14. Antero Resources had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 0.74%. On average, research analysts expect that Antero Resources will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Antero Resources in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Antero Resources from $28.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 13th. Raymond James upped their price target on Antero Resources from $44.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised Antero Resources to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.06.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director W Howard Keenan, Jr. sold 200,000 shares of Antero Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.76, for a total transaction of $7,952,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,800,000 shares in the company, valued at $71,568,000. The trade was a 10.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 6.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Antero Resources

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of AR. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Antero Resources in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Antero Resources in the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Spire Wealth Management bought a new stake in Antero Resources during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Antero Resources during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its position in Antero Resources by 205.2% in the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,358 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 913 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.04% of the company’s stock.

Antero Resources Company Profile

Antero Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the development, production, exploration, and acquisition of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and oil properties in the United States. It operates in three segments: Exploration and Development; Marketing; and Equity Method Investment in Antero Midstream.