Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI)

Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMCI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 630,810 call options on the company. This is an increase of 30% compared to the typical daily volume of 487,071 call options.

Insider Transactions at Super Micro Computer

In other Super Micro Computer news, SVP George Kao sold 71,720 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.48, for a total transaction of $3,620,425.60. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 19,449 shares in the company, valued at approximately $981,785.52. This trade represents a 78.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert L. Blair sold 19,460 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.58, for a total transaction of $828,606.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 137,473 shares of company stock valued at $6,771,552. Insiders own 17.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Super Micro Computer

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SMCI. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in Super Micro Computer in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $635,000. Nepsis Inc. bought a new position in Super Micro Computer during the fourth quarter valued at about $13,625,000. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of Super Micro Computer by 1,476.6% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 12,266 shares of the company's stock worth $374,000 after buying an additional 11,488 shares during the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Super Micro Computer during the 4th quarter valued at about $277,000. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Super Micro Computer in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,113,000. 84.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Super Micro Computer Price Performance

Shares of SMCI stock traded up $5.18 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $38.70. The company had a trading volume of 70,426,920 shares, compared to its average volume of 71,795,827. Super Micro Computer has a 12-month low of $17.25 and a 12-month high of $101.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.93 and a current ratio of 3.77. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $35.26 and a 200-day moving average of $35.00. The company has a market capitalization of $23.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.43 and a beta of 1.36.

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.40 billion. Super Micro Computer had a return on equity of 30.57% and a net margin of 8.09%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 19.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.66 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Super Micro Computer will post 1.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on SMCI shares. Cfra upgraded Super Micro Computer from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Super Micro Computer from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $40.00 to $32.00 in a report on Monday, March 24th. Raymond James initiated coverage on shares of Super Micro Computer in a research note on Tuesday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $41.00 price objective for the company. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their price target on shares of Super Micro Computer from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Super Micro Computer to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Super Micro Computer presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $45.25.

Super Micro Computer Company Profile

Super Micro Computer, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures high performance server and storage solutions based on modular and open architecture in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. Its solutions range from complete server, storage systems, modular blade servers, blades, workstations, full racks, networking devices, server sub-systems, server management software, and security software.

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