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Stock Traders Buy High Volume of StoneCo Call Options (NASDAQ:STNE)

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Key Points

  • StoneCo call-option activity surged: Investors purchased 9,352 call options, 329% above the typical volume of 2,180 contracts.
  • StoneCo shares rose $2.38 to $11.93 on unusually heavy trading volume, with 12.35 million shares exchanged versus an average of 5.33 million.
  • Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Four analysts rate the stock Buy and six rate it Hold, producing an overall “Hold” rating and an average price target of $14.30.
  • MarketBeat previews the top five stocks to own by November 1st.

StoneCo Ltd. (NASDAQ:STNE - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors purchased 9,352 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 329% compared to the typical volume of 2,180 call options.

StoneCo Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ STNE traded up $2.38 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $11.93. 12,348,790 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,331,795. The company's 50-day moving average price is $9.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.26. StoneCo has a 1-year low of $8.95 and a 1-year high of $19.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.80, a PEG ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.26.

StoneCo (NASDAQ:STNE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. StoneCo had a return on equity of 22.19% and a net margin of 22.92%.The company had revenue of $129.73 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $708.24 million. On average, sell-side analysts expect that StoneCo will post 2.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at StoneCo

In other StoneCo news, Director Silvio Morais sold 21,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.91, for a total transaction of $208,110.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On StoneCo

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in shares of StoneCo by 151.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,032,572 shares of the company's stock worth $85,180,000 after purchasing an additional 3,636,276 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of StoneCo by 1,288.4% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 577,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,265,000 after buying an additional 536,331 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden grew its position in StoneCo by 159.5% during the second quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 1,593,600 shares of the company's stock worth $17,275,000 after buying an additional 979,400 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in StoneCo by 286.6% during the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 163,065 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,298,000 after acquiring an additional 120,883 shares during the period. Finally, Squadra Investments Gestao DE Recursos LTDA. raised its holdings in StoneCo by 435.5% in the 1st quarter. Squadra Investments Gestao DE Recursos LTDA. now owns 6,662,253 shares of the company's stock valued at $94,071,000 after acquiring an additional 5,418,053 shares in the last quarter. 73.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on STNE shares. UBS Group reduced their price target on StoneCo from $15.00 to $13.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of StoneCo in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on StoneCo in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. They issued a "hold" rating and a $12.60 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America cut StoneCo from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $13.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $14.30.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on STNE

StoneCo Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

StoneCo Ltd. is a Brazilian financial technology company that provides payment processing, banking and business-management solutions to entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses. Its services are designed to help merchants accept electronic payments, manage cash flow and operate their businesses through integrated digital tools.

The company's offerings include point-of-sale and mobile payment solutions, online payment processing, digital banking services, working-capital and credit products, and software for retail and other business operations.

Further Reading

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