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

Key Points

• Antero Resources saw unusually heavy options activity, with traders buying 98,352 put options on Monday — about 620% above the average volume.
• The stock fell to $34.07 in Monday trading, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while analysts currently rate it a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $50.06.
• Insiders have recently been selling shares, including director Benjamin A. Hardesty and insider Yvette K. Schultz, while hedge funds and other institutions continue to hold a large majority of the company’s stock.

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Stock traders purchased 98,352 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 620% compared to the average volume of 13,660 put options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Williams Trading set a $56.00 target price on shares of Antero Resources in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Antero Resources from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.06.

Antero Resources Price Performance

Antero Resources stock traded down $0.76 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $34.07. 2,645,702 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,665,016. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $37.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $36.48. Antero Resources has a twelve month low of $29.10 and a twelve month high of $45.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $10.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.33.

Insider Transactions at Antero Resources

In related news, Director Benjamin A. Hardesty sold 12,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total transaction of $528,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 150,242 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,610,648. This represents a 7.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Yvette K. Schultz sold 39,490 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.27, for a total transaction of $1,550,772.30. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 277,665 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,903,904.55. The trade was a 12.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 237,316 shares of company stock valued at $9,387,309. Insiders own 4.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Antero Resources

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Antero Resources by 16,498.3% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 9,627 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock worth $389,000 after purchasing an additional 9,569 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Antero Resources by 7.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 590,555 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock worth $23,882,000 after purchasing an additional 43,312 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in Antero Resources by 18.9% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 19,921 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock worth $806,000 after buying an additional 3,169 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Antero Resources by 701.3% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,989 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock valued at $120,000 after buying an additional 2,616 shares during the period. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Antero Resources by 22.5% during the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 36,500 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock valued at $1,470,000 after purchasing an additional 6,700 shares during the last quarter. 83.04% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Antero Resources Company Profile

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.

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