Suncor Energy Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:SU)

Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU - Get Free Report) TSE: SU saw unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors bought 28,315 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 2,998% compared to the average volume of 914 put options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SU. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 30.5% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,095 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Suncor Energy by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 12,423 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $443,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Suncor Energy by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 95,508 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $3,408,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. X Square Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Suncor Energy by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. X Square Capital LLC now owns 82,720 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $2,951,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 27.5% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,389 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 67.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Suncor Energy Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of Suncor Energy stock traded up $0.24 on Tuesday, reaching $35.13. 9,067,320 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,516,346. The firm's 50-day moving average is $35.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.50. The company has a market capitalization of $43.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.33. Suncor Energy has a 52 week low of $30.79 and a 52 week high of $41.95.

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU - Get Free Report) TSE: SU last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.07. Suncor Energy had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 15.37%. Sell-side analysts predict that Suncor Energy will post 3.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Suncor Energy Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 4th were given a $0.399 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 4th. Suncor Energy's payout ratio is 45.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on SU shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Suncor Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $66.00 price objective on shares of Suncor Energy in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. raised Suncor Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Suncor Energy in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Suncor Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.20.

About Suncor Energy

Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment explores, develops, and produces bitumen, synthetic crude oil, and related products.