Antero Resources Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:AR)

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) saw unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors purchased 28,517 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 203% compared to the typical daily volume of 9,402 put options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on AR shares. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on Antero Resources from $57.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Antero Resources from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Scotiabank reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Antero Resources in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Antero Resources from $43.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Antero Resources from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $39.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.00.

Insider Activity

In other Antero Resources news, insider Brendan E. Krueger purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $33.35 per share, with a total value of $166,750.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 295,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,868,831.95. This represents a 1.72% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 6.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Antero Resources

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in Antero Resources by 91.3% during the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 656 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 313 shares during the period. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC grew its stake in Antero Resources by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC now owns 15,125 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $508,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Antero Resources by 6.4% in the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,451 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $220,000 after buying an additional 328 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in Antero Resources by 10.1% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 4,054 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $164,000 after buying an additional 371 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Antero Resources by 12.1% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,840 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $129,000 after buying an additional 413 shares during the last quarter. 83.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Antero Resources Stock Performance

Shares of AR stock opened at $34.47 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.30 and a quick ratio of 0.30. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $32.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.34 and a beta of 0.62. Antero Resources has a 12 month low of $29.10 and a 12 month high of $44.01.

Antero Resources Company Profile

Antero Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the development, production, exploration, and acquisition of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and oil properties in the United States. It operates in three segments: Exploration and Development; Marketing; and Equity Method Investment in Antero Midstream.