Traders Purchase High Volume of Antero Resources Put Options (NYSE:AR)

Key Points

• Antero Resources saw unusually heavy options activity on Friday, with traders buying 25,555 put options — about 119% above its normal daily volume.
• Two insiders recently sold shares: Yvette K. Schultz sold 39,490 shares, and Michael N. Kennedy sold 185,826 shares under a pre-arranged trading plan. Insider ownership now stands at 4.10%.
• Analysts remain cautiously positive on the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $49.47, even though the shares fell to $33.33 on Friday.

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock investors purchased 25,555 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 119% compared to the typical daily volume of 11,673 put options.

Insider Transactions at Antero Resources

In related news, insider Yvette K. Schultz sold 39,490 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.27, for a total value of $1,550,772.30. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 277,665 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,903,904.55. This represents a 12.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Michael N. Kennedy sold 185,826 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.33, for a total value of $7,308,536.58. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,085,192 shares in the company, valued at $42,680,601.36. This represents a 14.62% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in Antero Resources during the second quarter worth $26,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Antero Resources in the third quarter valued at $30,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Antero Resources by 59.2% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 928 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Antero Resources in the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Antero Resources in the fourth quarter valued at $44,000. 83.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Antero Resources Stock Performance

NYSE:AR traded down $1.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $33.33. The stock had a trading volume of 1,887,879 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,569,458. The company has a quick ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of $10.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.81 and a beta of 0.33. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $35.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.35. Antero Resources has a 12-month low of $29.10 and a 12-month high of $45.75.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on AR. Texas Capital upgraded shares of Antero Resources to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $57.00 price target on shares of Antero Resources in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Roth Capital reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $38.00 price objective on shares of Antero Resources in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $49.00 to $45.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $49.47.

About Antero Resources

Antero Resources Corporation is an independent exploration and production company focused on the development of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and oil properties in the Appalachian Basin of the United States. The company's operations target the Marcellus and Utica shales, where it applies advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize recovery from its large acreage position. Antero's portfolio encompasses significant reserves of ethane, propane and other NGLs, alongside dry gas volumes that are positioned to serve both domestic and export markets.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Antero Resources holds approximately 1.8 million net acres of leasehold interests across parts of West Virginia and Ohio.

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