Investors Purchase High Volume of B2Gold Call Options (NYSE:BTG)

Key Points

• B2Gold Corp. experienced an extraordinary 142% increase in call options trading volume, with 17,460 options purchased compared to an average of 7,204.
• The company reported $0.12 earnings per share for the last quarter, falling short of analysts' expectations of $0.13, despite a 40.5% increase in quarterly revenue year-over-year.
• B2Gold has declared a $0.02 quarterly dividend, representing an annual yield of 1.8%, with the ex-dividend date set for September 10th.

B2Gold Corp. (NYSE:BTG - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Traders purchased 17,460 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 142% compared to the typical volume of 7,204 call options.

B2Gold Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of B2Gold stock traded down $0.07 on Tuesday, reaching $4.32. 51,134,093 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 41,713,098. B2Gold has a one year low of $2.20 and a one year high of $4.60. The company has a market capitalization of $5.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.00, a PEG ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a 50-day moving average of $3.79 and a 200 day moving average of $3.42.

B2Gold (NYSE:BTG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by ($0.01). B2Gold had a positive return on equity of 5.65% and a negative net margin of 33.12%.During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.06 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 40.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that B2Gold will post 0.4 earnings per share for the current year.

B2Gold Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 10th. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. B2Gold's payout ratio is presently -22.86%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Independent Wealth Network Inc. acquired a new position in shares of B2Gold during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new position in B2Gold during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Kercheville Advisors LLC bought a new position in B2Gold during the 1st quarter worth $31,000. Walker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in B2Gold during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in B2Gold by 875.0% during the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 9,750 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 8,750 shares during the period. 61.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. CIBC restated a "neutral" rating and set a $4.00 target price (up from $3.60) on shares of B2Gold in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Raymond James Financial upgraded B2Gold to a "moderate buy" rating and set a $4.50 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, June 30th. Zacks Research lowered B2Gold from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, National Bankshares reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of B2Gold in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $4.31.

About B2Gold

B2Gold Corp. operates as a gold producer company. It operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. The company also has an 100% interest in the Gramalote gold project in Colombia; 24% interest in the Calibre Mining Corp.; and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp.