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Traders Purchase High Volume of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Put Options (NASDAQ:ZION)

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Key Points

  • Heavy put options activity hit Zions Bancorporation, with traders buying 6,404 put contracts, about 454% above normal volume. That suggests a notable jump in bearish or hedging interest in the stock.
  • ZION shares fell 4.2% to $68.89 on the day, even as trading volume ran above average. The stock has still been supported by solid valuation metrics and a dividend yield of 2.6%.
  • Recent fundamentals were mixed to positive: Zions reported second-quarter EPS of $1.74, beating estimates, and several analysts raised price targets. However, the overall analyst consensus remains Hold.
  • Five stocks to consider instead of Zions Bancorporation, N.A..

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. (NASDAQ:ZION - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Traders purchased 6,404 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 454% compared to the typical volume of 1,156 put options.

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Stock Down 4.2%

Shares of ZION stock traded down $3.00 on Tuesday, reaching $68.89. 2,218,627 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,735,989. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The company has a 50-day moving average of $65.96 and a 200-day moving average of $61.92. Zions Bancorporation, N.A. has a one year low of $46.19 and a one year high of $73.34. The company has a market cap of $10.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.71, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.80.

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. (NASDAQ:ZION - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 20th. The bank reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $878.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $877.44 million. Zions Bancorporation, N.A. had a net margin of 19.53% and a return on equity of 13.90%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.63 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Zions Bancorporation, N.A. will post 6.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Saturday, May 2nd that allows the company to repurchase $225.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the bank to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 21st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 14th were paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Zions Bancorporation, N.A.'s payout ratio is currently 27.99%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on ZION. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup boosted their price target on Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $82.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $70.88.

Check Out Our Latest Report on ZION

Insider Activity at Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

In other Zions Bancorporation, N.A. news, EVP Jennifer Anne Smith sold 4,209 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.50, for a total value of $263,062.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.43% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new position in Zions Bancorporation, N.A. during the fourth quarter worth $8,591,000. Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. by 266.4% during the 4th quarter. Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 404,520 shares of the bank's stock valued at $23,681,000 after purchasing an additional 294,121 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management boosted its position in Zions Bancorporation, N.A. by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,888,064 shares of the bank's stock worth $227,607,000 after acquiring an additional 48,346 shares during the last quarter. Burney Co. bought a new stake in shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,762,000. Finally, Qsemble Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. during the fourth quarter worth $3,353,000. Institutional investors own 76.84% of the company's stock.

More Zions Bancorporation, N.A. News

Here are the key news stories impacting Zions Bancorporation, N.A. this week:

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Zions Bancorporation, N.A. is a bank holding company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, offering a full suite of banking and financial services to individuals, businesses and institutions. Through its primary subsidiary, Zions Bank, the company provides commercial banking, retail banking and wealth management solutions designed to serve the needs of small businesses, middle‐market firms and high‐net‐worth clients. Its service portfolio includes deposit accounts, cash‐management tools, lending products, mortgage origination, treasury services and investment advisory services.

The company's commercial banking segment delivers custom credit and treasury management services, including working capital lines of credit, equipment financing and international trade finance.

See Also

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