Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN)

Key Points

• Unusual Call Options Activity: On Wednesday, investors purchased 9,422 call options for LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN), marking a significant increase of approximately 707% compared to the average daily volume of 1,167 call options.
• CEO Stock Sale: CEO Anthony John Sabino sold 68,088 shares at an average price of $0.75, reducing his ownership stake by 2.33% to approximately 2.85 million shares valued at around $2.14 million.
• Institutional Investment Trends: A significant 79.83% of LivePerson's stock is currently owned by institutional investors, with several firms increasing their positions in the company during recent quarters.

LivePerson, Inc. (NASDAQ:LPSN - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders purchased 9,422 call options on the company. Thisisanincreaseof707% compared to the average volume of 1,167 call options.

Insider Transactions at LivePerson

In related news, CEO Anthony John Sabino sold 68,088 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $0.75, for a total transaction of $51,066.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,852,296 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,139,222. The trade was a 2.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 97,485 shares of company stock worth $81,345. 2.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LivePerson

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LPSN. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LivePerson during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in shares of LivePerson during the fourth quarter worth $57,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of LivePerson during the fourth quarter worth $66,000. LPL Financial LLC lifted its holdings in LivePerson by 140.2% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 56,571 shares of the technology company's stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 33,021 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. lifted its holdings in LivePerson by 146.1% during the 4th quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 73,794 shares of the technology company's stock worth $112,000 after purchasing an additional 43,804 shares in the last quarter. 79.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

LivePerson Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LPSN traded up $0.06 during trading on Friday, reaching $1.21. 7,243,891 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,244,836. LivePerson has a 52-week low of $0.61 and a 52-week high of $2.08. The company has a 50-day moving average of $0.92 and a 200-day moving average of $0.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $113.56 million, a P/E ratio of -0.56 and a beta of 1.61.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on LPSN. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of LivePerson from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of LivePerson in a research note on Thursday, May 8th.

About LivePerson

LivePerson, Inc engages in conversational artificial intelligence. It enables brands to leverage the Conversational Cloud's intelligence engine to connect with consumers through an integrated suite of mobile and online business messaging technologies. The company offers the Conversational Cloud, an enterprise-class digital customer conversation platform, which enables businesses and consumers to connect through conversational channels, such as voice, in-app, and mobile messaging.