AngloGold Ashanti Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:AU)

AngloGold Ashanti PLC (NYSE:AU) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 68,797 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 1,505% compared to the average daily volume of 4,287 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AngloGold Ashanti

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in AngloGold Ashanti by 129.0% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 490 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the period. Optimum Investment Advisors acquired a new position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 33.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 599 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. 36.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AngloGold Ashanti Trading Up 5.3%

NYSE:AU opened at $88.86 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $72.94 and its 200-day moving average is $58.35. The company has a quick ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. AngloGold Ashanti has a 12 month low of $22.45 and a 12 month high of $89.19. The firm has a market cap of $37.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.63 and a beta of 0.48.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 11th. The mining company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $2.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.53 billion. AngloGold Ashanti had a return on equity of 22.54% and a net margin of 23.60%. Equities analysts anticipate that AngloGold Ashanti will post 3.83 EPS for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th will be given a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 28th. AngloGold Ashanti’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 80.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on AU shares. Weiss Ratings raised AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Roth Capital set a $76.00 price objective on AngloGold Ashanti and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Zacks Research raised shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AngloGold Ashanti from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 15th. Finally, HSBC restated a “reduce” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of AngloGold Ashanti in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.50.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

AngloGold Ashanti plc operates as a gold mining company in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as produces silver and sulphuric acid as by-products. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita mine located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania.