Investors Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE)

Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders purchased 1,297 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 1,563% compared to the typical daily volume of 78 call options.

Guidewire Software Price Performance

GWRE opened at $205.90 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.48, a quick ratio of 3.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 196.10, a PEG ratio of 13.50 and a beta of 1.08. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $219.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $227.11. Guidewire Software has a 12-month low of $165.08 and a 12-month high of $272.60.

Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 3rd. The technology company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66. The company had revenue of $332.64 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $316.62 million. Guidewire Software had a return on equity of 10.15% and a net margin of 7.23%.Guidewire Software’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Guidewire Software will post 0.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $275.00 price target (up from $255.00) on shares of Guidewire Software in a report on Friday, September 5th. Citizens Jmp reissued a “market outperform” rating and set a $281.00 price objective on shares of Guidewire Software in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Guidewire Software in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup raised their price target on Guidewire Software from $242.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Guidewire Software from $270.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, September 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $271.29.

Insider Activity at Guidewire Software

In other Guidewire Software news, CAO David Franklin Peterson sold 358 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.08, for a total value of $68,764.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 12,806 shares in the company, valued at $2,459,776.48. This trade represents a 2.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider James Winston King sold 1,860 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.00, for a total value of $362,700.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 33,702 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,571,890. This represents a 5.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 57,140 shares of company stock worth $11,911,574 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.46% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Guidewire Software

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in Guidewire Software by 215.2% in the first quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 1,453 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $272,000 after purchasing an additional 992 shares during the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Guidewire Software in the first quarter worth about $94,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Guidewire Software by 1,458.4% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 47,969 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $8,987,000 after acquiring an additional 44,891 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank lifted its stake in shares of Guidewire Software by 130.2% in the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 54,133 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $10,142,000 after acquiring an additional 30,616 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corebridge Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Guidewire Software by 9,192.8% during the 1st quarter. Corebridge Financial Inc. now owns 92,649 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $17,359,000 after acquiring an additional 91,652 shares during the period.

About Guidewire Software

Guidewire Software, Inc develops software products and cloud services for property and casualty (P&C) insurance carriers. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company’s offerings are designed to help insurers manage the core functions of their business—policy administration, billing and claims—while supporting digital engagement, analytics and operational modernization.

Guidewire’s core product portfolio is commonly known as the InsuranceSuite, which includes PolicyCenter for policy administration, BillingCenter for billing and receivables, and ClaimCenter for claims management.