Shell Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:SHEL)

Key Points

• Shell saw unusual options activity on Thursday, with investors buying 42,426 call options — about 276% above its typical daily volume of 11,271 calls.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious overall, with Shell carrying a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $98.19, though some firms still rate it a Buy.
• Shell shares rose 1.4% to $88.99, and the company recently reported Q2 EPS of $2.44, beating estimates even as revenue came in below expectations.

Shell PLC Unsponsored ADR (NYSE:SHEL - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Investors purchased 42,426 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 276% compared to the typical daily volume of 11,271 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SHEL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane set a $101.00 price target on shares of Shell and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Shell in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Shell in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Mizuho initiated coverage on Shell in a report on Monday. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $98.00 price target for the company. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Shell from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 25th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $98.19.

Institutional Trading of Shell

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Financial Management Professionals Inc. lifted its position in shares of Shell by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 4,800 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $372,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Allied Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Shell during the second quarter valued at $43,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its position in shares of Shell by 729.3% in the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 1,899 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $147,000 after purchasing an additional 1,670 shares during the period. Red Spruce Capital LLC increased its stake in Shell by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Red Spruce Capital LLC now owns 21,069 shares of the energy company's stock worth $1,634,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Shell by 10.3% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 14,412 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $1,118,000 after buying an additional 1,350 shares in the last quarter. 28.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Shell Trading Up 1.4%

SHEL traded up $1.22 during trading on Thursday, hitting $88.99. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,965,803 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,158,736. Shell has a twelve month low of $68.63 and a twelve month high of $94.90. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $83.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $83.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The stock has a market cap of $249.49 billion, a PE ratio of 13.85, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.06.

Shell (NYSE:SHEL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The energy company reported $2.44 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.30. The business had revenue of $69.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $77.54 billion. Shell had a return on equity of 11.18% and a net margin of 6.85%. On average, analysts expect that Shell will post 9.44 earnings per share for the current year.

About Shell

Shell plc NYSE: SHEL is a global integrated energy company that operates across the full oil and gas value chain as well as in developing lower-carbon energy solutions. The company traces its roots to the early 20th century merger of Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell Transport and Trading, and today it is organized to explore for and produce hydrocarbons, process and refine them, manufacture petrochemicals, and market fuel, lubricants and related products under the Shell brand around the world.

Shell's principal activities include upstream exploration and production of oil and natural gas, integrated gas operations including liquefied natural gas (LNG), and downstream refining, supply and marketing.

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