Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS)

Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 19,453 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 282% compared to the average volume of 5,098 call options.

Kosmos Energy Trading Up 21.6%

Shares of NYSE KOS opened at $2.15 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $1.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1.45. Kosmos Energy has a 52-week low of $0.84 and a 52-week high of $3.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -3.16 and a beta of 0.90.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Clarkson Capital assumed coverage on Kosmos Energy in a research note on Friday, October 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $4.00 target price for the company. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Kosmos Energy from $2.00 to $1.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Kosmos Energy from $1.75 to $2.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $1.00 target price (down from $3.40) on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Johnson Rice downgraded shares of Kosmos Energy from a “buy” rating to an “accumulate” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $4.50 to $3.50 in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $2.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kosmos Energy news, CAO Ronald W. Glass sold 19,285 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.37, for a total value of $26,420.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 342,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $469,834.65. This trade represents a 5.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Andrew G. Inglis sold 103,554 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.37, for a total transaction of $141,868.98. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 4,271,645 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,852,153.65. The trade was a 2.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 272,844 shares of company stock worth $377,592 in the last 90 days. 1.99% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kosmos Energy

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Kosmos Energy by 93.9% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 28,601 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 13,854 shares during the period. Blueshift Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kosmos Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Old Port Advisors acquired a new stake in Kosmos Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Cibc World Markets Corp bought a new position in Kosmos Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Ellevest Inc. bought a new position in Kosmos Energy in the second quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.33% of the company’s stock.

About Kosmos Energy

Kosmos Energy Ltd. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Since its founding in 2003, the company has focused on identifying and developing hydrocarbon reserves in frontier and emerging basins around the world. Kosmos combines geological and geophysical expertise with a disciplined approach to acreage acquisition and partner selection to pursue high‐impact offshore exploration opportunities.

The company’s portfolio is anchored by assets in West Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.