Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN)

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (NYSE:ASPN) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Traders purchased 6,036 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 995% compared to the typical volume of 551 call options.

Aspen Aerogels Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ASPN opened at $5.78 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $7.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.69. Aspen Aerogels has a 1-year low of $5.32 and a 1-year high of $14.44. The company has a current ratio of 3.47, a quick ratio of 2.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market cap of $405.81 million, a PE ratio of -4.10 and a beta of 2.12.

Aspen Aerogels (NYSE:ASPN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The construction company reported ($0.22) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.36) by $0.14. The company had revenue of $48.16 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $49.07 million. Aspen Aerogels had a negative net margin of 37.58% and a negative return on equity of 19.27%. Research analysts predict that Aspen Aerogels will post -1.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Donald R. Young bought 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $6.83 per share, for a total transaction of $170,750.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 656,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,485,281.49. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in Aspen Aerogels by 451.1% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 722 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 591 shares during the period. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its position in shares of Aspen Aerogels by 37.5% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,539 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares in the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new position in shares of Aspen Aerogels during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Clear Street Markets LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aspen Aerogels during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Ensign Peak Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Aspen Aerogels during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 94.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the stock. HC Wainwright dropped their target price on shares of Aspen Aerogels from $45.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 4th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Aspen Aerogels in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. They set a “sell” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $23.88.

About Aspen Aerogels

Aspen Aerogels, Inc engages in designing, developing, and manufacturing aerogel insulation used primarily in the energy infrastructure and building materials markets. Its products include Cryogel, Pyrogel, and Spaceloft. The company was founded by Hamed S. Borhanian, Patrick J. Piper, and Kang P. Lee in May 2001 and is headquartered in Northborough, MA.