Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Energy Transfer Call Options (NYSE:ET)

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders purchased 96,837 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 99% compared to the average volume of 48,747 call options.

Energy Transfer Stock Up 0.1%

Energy Transfer stock opened at $18.99 on Friday. Energy Transfer has a twelve month low of $14.60 and a twelve month high of $19.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $65.31 billion, a PE ratio of 15.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.63. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $18.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.34.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The pipeline company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.09). Energy Transfer had a net margin of 5.11% and a return on equity of 10.17%. The company had revenue of $25.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.56 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.29 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 29.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Energy Transfer will post 1.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Energy Transfer Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th were given a dividend of $0.335 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 6th. This is a positive change from Energy Transfer’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. This represents a $1.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.1%. Energy Transfer’s payout ratio is 110.74%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ET. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Energy Transfer during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Gables Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Energy Transfer by 60.0% in the fourth quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,600 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Sarver Vrooman Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in Energy Transfer in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Energy Transfer during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Navalign LLC bought a new position in Energy Transfer during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 38.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Energy Transfer

Here are the key news stories impacting Energy Transfer this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James added Energy Transfer to its Analyst Current Favorites list, signaling a favorable outlook from a major broker and providing a near-term catalyst for investor interest. Raymond James Sees Attractive Outlook for Energy Transfer (ET), Adds to Favorites
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options flow: about 96,837 call options traded — roughly a 99% jump vs. typical daily call volume — a bullish technical signal that can amplify upside moves if the trades reflect directional bets rather than hedges.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/coverage support and buy-side sentiment are building: Seeking Alpha highlights ET’s multi-year growth phase, attractive 7%+ yield, and guidance for distribution growth, reinforcing a total-return income thesis. Energy Transfer: Strong Yield Backed By Growth, Not Harvesting
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintain constructive ratings: ET received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy”, supporting continued analyst-driven demand. Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction context: Zacks notes ET rose as the broader market dipped, suggesting some relative-strength buying rather than a sector-wide move. Energy Transfer LP (ET) Rises As Market Takes a Dip: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage from The Motley Fool and other outlets includes ET among pipeline/income picks, reinforcing the income narrative but not providing new fundamental catalysts. The Iran War Means $100 Oil, and These Pipeline Stocks Are the Safest Income Play in Energy Today

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ET shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of Energy Transfer to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Energy Transfer from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $22.00 target price (down from $25.00) on shares of Energy Transfer in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Scotiabank reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Energy Transfer in a report on Friday, January 16th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Energy Transfer presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $21.60.

Energy Transfer Company Profile

Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) is a Dallas-based midstream energy company that develops and operates infrastructure for the transportation, storage and processing of hydrocarbons. The company’s operations focus on moving and storing natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and refined products through an integrated network of pipelines, terminals, storage facilities and processing plants. Energy Transfer provides core midstream services such as gathering, compression, fractionation, processing, and bulk transportation to support production and downstream supply chains.

Its asset base spans an extensive network across the United States, connecting producing regions, processing centers, petrochemical hubs and coastal and inland markets.