YPF Sociedad Anónima Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:YPF)

Key Points

• YPF’s call-option volume surged 700% on Friday, with investors purchasing 30,151 calls versus a typical 3,771, despite the stock falling 1.3% to $55.34.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $3.07, beating estimates by $0.81, while revenue of $6.57 billion also exceeded expectations. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $60.33.
• Insiders increased their holdings through stock purchases, including acquisitions by the CEO and a vice president, while institutional investors own 10.08% of YPF’s shares.

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock investors purchased 30,151 call options on the company. This is an increase of 700% compared to the typical volume of 3,771 call options.

YPF Sociedad Anónima Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of YPF traded down $0.72 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $55.34. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,639,499 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,834,875. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.72. YPF Sociedad Anónima has a 12-month low of $22.82 and a 12-month high of $57.49. The stock has a market cap of $21.77 billion, a PE ratio of 29.13 and a beta of 1.25. The company's 50 day moving average is $50.51 and its 200 day moving average is $46.75.

YPF Sociedad Anónima (NYSE:YPF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $3.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.81. The firm had revenue of $6.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.99 billion. YPF Sociedad Anónima had a return on equity of 10.86% and a net margin of 3.60%. Equities analysts anticipate that YPF Sociedad Anónima will post 7.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

YPF has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. HSBC upgraded YPF Sociedad Anónima from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $60.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, August 17th. Zacks Research cut YPF Sociedad Anónima from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima from $61.50 to $66.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $60.33.

Insider Transactions at YPF Sociedad Anónima

In related news, VP Matias Osvaldo Farina bought 8,875 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $45.22 per share, for a total transaction of $401,327.50. Following the acquisition, the vice president owned 55,687 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,518,166.14. This trade represents a 18.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Horacio Daniel Marin bought 2,840 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $46.35 per share, for a total transaction of $131,634.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 92,193 shares in the company, valued at $4,273,145.55. This represents a 3.18% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Institutional Trading of YPF Sociedad Anónima

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new stake in YPF Sociedad Anónima in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 488.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,353 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,123 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in YPF Sociedad Anónima by 13.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,934 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. DGS Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima in the first quarter valued at about $237,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of YPF Sociedad Anónima by 20.8% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,760 shares of the oil and gas exploration company's stock worth $208,000 after buying an additional 990 shares during the period. 10.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About YPF Sociedad Anónima

YPF Sociedad Anónima is an Argentine integrated energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. The company operates across Argentina, including the Vaca Muerta formation in the Neuquén Basin, one of the country's most important unconventional hydrocarbon regions.

YPF's downstream operations include refining crude oil, marketing fuels and lubricants, producing petrochemicals, and distributing petroleum products through a network of service stations and commercial channels.

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