Traders Buy High Volume of FutureFuel Call Options (NYSE:FF)

FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Traders purchased 9,080 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 3,010% compared to the average volume of 292 call options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On FutureFuel

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Centiva Capital LP acquired a new position in FutureFuel in the 3rd quarter valued at about $50,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of FutureFuel by 54.2% in the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 21,874 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 7,689 shares during the period. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its holdings in shares of FutureFuel by 4,087.0% in the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 12,854 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 12,547 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in FutureFuel by 226.0% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,038 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 6,266 shares during the period. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new stake in FutureFuel during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $367,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.56% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of FutureFuel in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, FutureFuel has an average rating of “Sell”.

FutureFuel Trading Up 7.2%

Shares of NYSE:FF opened at $4.23 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $185.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.36 and a beta of 0.70. FutureFuel has a 12 month low of $3.09 and a 12 month high of $4.91. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $3.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.63.

FutureFuel Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. FutureFuel’s payout ratio is -30.38%.

About FutureFuel

FutureFuel Corporation (NYSE: FF) operates as a specialty chemicals and biofuels producer, combining industrial chemistry with renewable energy solutions. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, FutureFuel Chemical Company, it manufactures a diverse portfolio of chemical products that serve fiber and textile applications, agricultural markets, water treatment processes and industrial coatings. In parallel, the company produces biodiesel using vegetable oils and animal fats as feedstocks, supplying both wholesale fuel distributors and commercial users seeking lower-carbon fuel alternatives.

The company’s manufacturing hub is located in Decatur, Arkansas, on a site originally constructed as an ordnance plant during World War II.