Antero Resources Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:AR)

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) saw unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Investors bought 101,384 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 812% compared to the average volume of 11,119 call options.

Antero Resources Trading Up 3.4%

Antero Resources stock opened at $35.44 on Tuesday. Antero Resources has a 12 month low of $29.10 and a 12 month high of $44.01. The stock has a market cap of $10.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.85 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $34.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.25 billion. Antero Resources had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 7.51%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.07) earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Antero Resources will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Antero Resources

In other Antero Resources news, insider Brendan E. Krueger acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $33.35 per share, for a total transaction of $166,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 295,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,868,831.95. This trade represents a 1.72% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Antero Resources

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AR. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in Antero Resources by 91.3% in the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 656 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 313 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Antero Resources during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Antero Resources in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of Antero Resources by 59.2% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 928 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 345 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Antero Resources by 114.2% during the 2nd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 938 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. 83.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho set a $47.00 target price on shares of Antero Resources in a report on Friday, December 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $39.00 price objective (down from $44.00) on shares of Antero Resources in a research note on Monday, December 8th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Antero Resources from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Antero Resources in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Antero Resources from $46.00 to $41.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.60.

Antero Resources Company Profile

Antero Resources Corporation is an independent exploration and production company focused on the development of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and oil properties in the Appalachian Basin of the United States. The company’s operations target the Marcellus and Utica shales, where it applies advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize recovery from its large acreage position. Antero’s portfolio encompasses significant reserves of ethane, propane and other NGLs, alongside dry gas volumes that are positioned to serve both domestic and export markets.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Antero Resources holds approximately 1.8 million net acres of leasehold interests across parts of West Virginia and Ohio.