Traders Purchase High Volume of Brighthouse Financial Call Options (NASDAQ:BHF)

Key Points

• Brighthouse Financial saw unusually heavy call-option activity: Traders purchased 10,094 call options, 692% above the typical daily volume of 1,275.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with nine analysts rating the stock “Hold” and one “Sell.” The consensus rating is “Reduce,” with a target price of $60.50.
• BHF shares rose 2.6% to $53.36, while the company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $4.45 in EPS versus the $4.86 consensus and revenue of $1.62 billion versus $2.18 billion expected.

Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:BHF - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Traders purchased 10,094 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 692% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,275 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BHF has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Brighthouse Financial to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Brighthouse Financial from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Brighthouse Financial presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $60.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BHF. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Brighthouse Financial by 15.5% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,967 shares of the company's stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 532 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Brighthouse Financial by 41.0% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,241 shares of the company's stock valued at $458,000 after buying an additional 2,106 shares during the period. Maven Securities LTD bought a new position in shares of Brighthouse Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,914,000. Nykredit A S bought a new position in shares of Brighthouse Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $170,000. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC lifted its stake in Brighthouse Financial by 8.3% in the second quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 82,230 shares of the company's stock worth $5,205,000 after acquiring an additional 6,328 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.24% of the company's stock.

Brighthouse Financial Trading Up 2.6%

NASDAQ:BHF traded up $1.37 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $53.36. 464,630 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 725,862. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.26, a PEG ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. The company has a fifty day moving average of $56.55 and a 200 day moving average of $60.14. Brighthouse Financial has a 12 month low of $44.51 and a 12 month high of $66.80.

Brighthouse Financial (NASDAQ:BHF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $4.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.86 by ($0.41). The firm had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.18 billion. Brighthouse Financial had a return on equity of 17.24% and a net margin of 12.49%.Brighthouse Financial's revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.43 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Brighthouse Financial will post 18.91 EPS for the current year.

Brighthouse Financial Company Profile

Brighthouse Financial, Inc is a U.S.-based insurance company focused on helping individuals achieve financial security through annuity and life insurance products. The company serves retail customers, as well as institutions and distribution partners, through a network that includes independent agents, banks, broker-dealers and other financial professionals.

Brighthouse Financial offers fixed, indexed and variable annuities designed to provide retirement income, tax-deferred growth and death-benefit features.

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