Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on KE (NYSE:BEKE)

Key Points

• Investors showed significant interest in KE Holdings Inc., purchasing 51,356 call options on Monday, a 372% increase from its typical daily volume.
• Analyst ratings for KE have varied recently, with JPMorgan dropping their target price from $24.00 to $22.00 while UBS upgraded it from "neutral" to "buy," now setting a price target of $23.00.
• KE Holdings has a market capitalization of $22.42 billion and its stock traded up 1.6% to $18.83 during recent trading sessions.

KE Holdings Inc. Sponsored ADR (NYSE:BEKE - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock traders bought 51,356 call options on the stock. Thisrepresentsanincreaseof372% compared to the typical volume of 10,885 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BEKE. UBS Group upgraded KE from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $22.10 to $23.00 in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Barclays reduced their price objective on KE from $33.00 to $25.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on KE from $25.80 to $24.80 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $22.00 target price on KE and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered KE from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 22nd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $24.54.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KE

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of KE in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Strs Ohio bought a new position in KE in the 1st quarter worth approximately $44,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in KE by 599.5% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,036 shares of the company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 2,602 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of KE by 145.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,812 shares of the company's stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 2,257 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealthquest Corp acquired a new stake in shares of KE during the 1st quarter worth approximately $79,000. 39.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

KE Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE BEKE traded up $0.07 during trading on Friday, reaching $17.58. 6,226,279 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,076,346. KE has a fifty-two week low of $13.28 and a fifty-two week high of $26.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.93 billion, a PE ratio of 37.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of -0.76. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $18.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.55.

About KE

KE Holdings Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in operating an integrated online and offline platform for housing transactions and services in the People's Republic of China. It operates through four segments: Existing Home Transaction Services, New Home Transaction Services, Home Renovation and Furnishing, and Emerging and Other Services.