Antero Resources Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:AR)

Key Points

• Antero Resources experienced a significant increase in options trading, with 18,811 put options purchased, up approximately 136% from an average volume of 7,981.
• Despite generating revenues of $1.30 billion for the last quarter, Antero Resources reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.35, falling short of analysts' expectations of $0.68.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed opinions on Antero Resources, with ratings ranging from Strong Buy to Neutral, and a consensus price target set at $43.00.

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Monday. Traders bought 18,811 put options on the company. Thisrepresentsanincreaseofapproximately136% compared to the typical volume of 7,981 put options.

Antero Resources Price Performance

NYSE AR traded down $0.13 on Monday, reaching $30.72. The company had a trading volume of 1,010,972 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,071,872. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.49 billion, a PE ratio of 19.59 and a beta of 0.64. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $35.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.90. Antero Resources has a 12 month low of $24.53 and a 12 month high of $44.01.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.33). The company had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. Antero Resources had a net margin of 10.13% and a return on equity of 6.48%. The business's revenue was up 32.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.21) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Antero Resources will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Antero Resources

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Antero Resources in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in Antero Resources by 91.3% in the 2nd 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 last quarter. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Antero Resources in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Antero Resources in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Antero Resources by 114.2% in the 2nd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 938 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. 83.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on AR. Roth Capital cut Antero Resources from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $44.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Monday, August 18th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $39.00 price target on shares of Antero Resources and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Antero Resources has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $43.00.

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.

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