Investors Buy High Volume of Call Options on Pacific Gas & Electric (NYSE:PCG)

Key Points

• PG&E call-option activity surged: Investors purchased 286,755 call options, 249% above the average volume of 82,238, signaling unusually high bullish or speculative interest.
• Shares traded lower at $14.20, well below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages near $17. The company beat quarterly EPS estimates, reporting $0.40 versus expectations of $0.36, while setting fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $1.64–$1.66.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: PG&E has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $18.27, though several firms recently cut their targets. An executive also sold 158,250 shares under a pre-arranged trading plan.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (NYSE:PCG - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors purchased 286,755 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 249% compared to the average volume of 82,238 call options.

Pacific Gas & Electric Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of Pacific Gas & Electric stock opened at $14.20 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90. Pacific Gas & Electric has a 12-month low of $12.59 and a 12-month high of $19.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.29, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.24. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $17.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $17.18.

Pacific Gas & Electric (NYSE:PCG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The utilities provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.20 billion. Pacific Gas & Electric had a return on equity of 12.48% and a net margin of 12.25%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.31 earnings per share. Pacific Gas & Electric has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.640-1.660 EPS. Analysts predict that Pacific Gas & Electric will post 1.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Pacific Gas & Electric

In other Pacific Gas & Electric news, EVP Marlene Santos sold 158,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total transaction of $2,848,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 230,885 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,155,930. This trade represents a 40.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pacific Gas & Electric

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PCG. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Pacific Gas & Electric in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Tobam acquired a new stake in shares of Pacific Gas & Electric in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pacific Gas & Electric during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pacific Gas & Electric during the 2nd quarter worth $57,000. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Pacific Gas & Electric by 13.1% during the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 5,843 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $98,000 after acquiring an additional 677 shares during the last quarter. 78.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on PCG. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Pacific Gas & Electric in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating and set a $21.00 target price (down from $28.00) on shares of Pacific Gas & Electric in a report on Monday, August 31st. Wall Street Zen cut Pacific Gas & Electric from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Pacific Gas & Electric from $25.00 to $18.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Pacific Gas & Electric from $23.00 to $18.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $18.27.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company Profile

Pacific Gas & Electric NYSE: PCG is an investor-owned utility holding company whose principal operating subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, provides electricity and natural gas service in northern and central California. The company's core activities include the generation, procurement, transmission and distribution of electric power, as well as the transmission and distribution of natural gas. PG&E serves a broad mix of residential, commercial, and industrial customers across urban and rural communities within its California service territory.

PG&E's operations encompass utility infrastructure planning and construction, grid operations, customer service and energy procurement.

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