Ballard Power Systems Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:BLDP)

Key Points

• Traders bought an unusually large number of put options — 14,143, a 1,594% increase versus the daily average of 835 — while BLDP shares fell about 7.6% to $4.35 on heavy volume (5.72M vs. avg. 3.83M).
• Several firms nudged up price targets, but the sell‑side consensus remains a Reduce with an average target of $3.51; Ballard slightly beat EPS estimates for the quarter (‑$0.04 vs. est. ‑$0.06) but missed revenue and continues to report negative margins.

Ballard Power Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLDP - Get Free Report) TSE: BLD was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders purchased 14,143 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,594% compared to the average daily volume of 835 put options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on BLDP. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Ballard Power Systems from $2.50 to $4.25 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. National Bank Financial boosted their target price on shares of Ballard Power Systems from $3.15 to $4.75 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Ballard Power Systems from $2.40 to $4.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Ballard Power Systems in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Ballard Power Systems from $1.70 to $2.10 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ballard Power Systems has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $3.51.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ballard Power Systems

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BLDP. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its position in Ballard Power Systems by 228.1% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 10,000 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 6,952 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Ballard Power Systems in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Ground Swell Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Ballard Power Systems in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. bought a new position in shares of Ballard Power Systems in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Ballard Power Systems by 422.6% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 15,024 shares of the technology company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 12,149 shares in the last quarter. 28.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ballard Power Systems Trading Down 7.6%

BLDP stock traded down $0.36 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $4.35. The stock had a trading volume of 5,715,986 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,831,294. The firm has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a P/E ratio of -16.06 and a beta of 1.94. The company has a current ratio of 10.70, a quick ratio of 9.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. Ballard Power Systems has a 1-year low of $1.24 and a 1-year high of $4.86. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $2.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $2.74.

Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ:BLDP - Get Free Report) TSE: BLD last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The technology company reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $18.98 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.88 million. Ballard Power Systems had a negative net margin of 78.60% and a negative return on equity of 13.48%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Ballard Power Systems will post -0.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Ballard Power Systems

Ballard Power Systems NASDAQ: BLDP is a Canadian technology company specializing in the development and manufacture of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ballard designs and sells fuel cell stacks and modules that enable zero-emission power generation for a variety of applications, including heavy-duty motive systems, backup power, material handling equipment, and portable power solutions.

Since its founding in 1979, Ballard has built a strong intellectual property portfolio and a track record of innovation in PEM fuel cell technology.

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