Entergy Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:ETR)

Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 4,398 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 289% compared to the typical volume of 1,131 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $105.00 price target (up from $96.00) on shares of Entergy in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen raised Entergy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Entergy from $88.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Entergy in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $109.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Entergy to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.09.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Anastasia Minor sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.39, for a total value of $481,950.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 10,122 shares in the company, valued at approximately $975,659.58. This represents a 33.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Haley Fisackerly sold 5,136 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.50, for a total transaction of $495,624.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,899 shares in the company, valued at approximately $762,253.50. The trade was a 39.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,179 shares of company stock valued at $981,707. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Entergy

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mattson Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in Entergy by 100.0% during the first quarter. Mattson Financial Services LLC now owns 300 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Entergy by 56.9% during the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 317 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Entergy by 150.4% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 323 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares during the period. Atwood & Palmer Inc. increased its holdings in Entergy by 135.7% in the 2nd quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. now owns 330 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital A Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Entergy by 5,466.7% in the 2nd quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 334 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 328 shares in the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Entergy Price Performance

NYSE ETR opened at $91.83 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $95.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $89.92. Entergy has a 52 week low of $73.15 and a 52 week high of $98.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.67, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.62.

Entergy (NYSE:ETR) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Entergy had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 11.53%. The company had revenue of $2.37 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts anticipate that Entergy will post 3.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Entergy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 13th were given a dividend of $0.64 per share. This represents a $2.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 13th. This is a positive change from Entergy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Entergy’s payout ratio is presently 63.21%.

About Entergy

Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. It generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas.