Traders Buy High Volume of Suncor Energy Put Options (NYSE:SU)

Key Points

• Traders have purchased an unprecedented 28,315 put options for Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU), marking a 2,998% increase in options trading volume compared to the average.
• Suncor Energy recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.4135 per share, reflecting an annual yield of 3.9%.
• Institutional investors control 67.37% of Suncor Energy's shares, with significant recent increases in holdings by firms like Vanguard and Artisan Partners.

Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU - Get Free Report) TSE: SU was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors purchased 28,315 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 2,998% compared to the average daily volume of 914 put options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Suncor Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SU. Nomura Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in Suncor Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $257,000. Man Group plc boosted its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 51.5% in the 4th quarter. Man Group plc now owns 114,555 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $4,087,000 after purchasing an additional 38,921 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 39,090 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $1,395,000 after purchasing an additional 1,897 shares during the last quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 107,052 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $3,819,000 after purchasing an additional 5,265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 168.8% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,729,654 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $61,714,000 after purchasing an additional 1,086,065 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.37% of the company's stock.

Suncor Energy Price Performance

Shares of Suncor Energy stock traded down $1.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $41.58. 7,717,165 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,303,017. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market cap of $50.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.87. Suncor Energy has a fifty-two week low of $30.79 and a fifty-two week high of $43.48. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.79.

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU - Get Free Report) TSE: SU last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $8.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.56 billion. Suncor Energy had a net margin of 11.35% and a return on equity of 13.21%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.27 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Suncor Energy will post 3.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Suncor Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 4th will be given a $0.4135 dividend. This represents a $1.65 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 4th. This is a boost from Suncor Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Suncor Energy's dividend payout ratio is 50.77%.

About Suncor Energy

Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment explores, develops, and produces bitumen, synthetic crude oil, and related products.