Ferroglobe Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:GSM)

Ferroglobe PLC (NASDAQ:GSM) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors acquired 4,553 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 457% compared to the average daily volume of 817 call options.

Institutional Trading of Ferroglobe

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Ferroglobe in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Ferroglobe in the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. LPL Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferroglobe in the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Barclays PLC acquired a new position in Ferroglobe during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, RPO LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ferroglobe during the fourth quarter valued at about $53,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.64% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com cut Ferroglobe from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded shares of Ferroglobe from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th.

Ferroglobe Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of GSM traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $3.81. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,178,705 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,176,629. The company’s 50 day moving average is $3.86 and its 200 day moving average is $4.11. The stock has a market cap of $715.84 million, a PE ratio of 190.50 and a beta of 1.89. Ferroglobe has a 12-month low of $3.23 and a 12-month high of $6.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 1.82 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Ferroglobe (NASDAQ:GSM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.01) by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $367.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $393.00 million. Ferroglobe had a net margin of 0.32% and a return on equity of 6.36%. Equities analysts anticipate that Ferroglobe will post 0.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ferroglobe Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a $0.014 dividend. This represents a $0.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.47%. This is a positive change from Ferroglobe’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.01. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. Ferroglobe’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 250.00%.

About Ferroglobe

Ferroglobe PLC produces and sells silicon metal, and silicon and manganese-based ferroalloys in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It provides silicone chemicals that are used in a range of applications, including personal care items, construction-related products, health care products, and electronics; and silicon metal for primary and secondary aluminum producers.