Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Antero Resources Put Options (NYSE:AR)

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Traders bought 33,844 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 155% compared to the average daily volume of 13,287 put options.

Trending Headlines about Antero Resources

Here are the key news stories impacting Antero Resources this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen maintained a Buy and raised upside expectations, citing the HG acquisition, faster deleveraging and hedging that should support free cash flow and valuation recovery — a constructive analyst endorsement that can support the stock. Antero Resources: HG Acquisition, Deleveraging, and Hedging Drive Buy-Rated Upside After Relative Underperformance
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America (K. Akamine) reiterated a Buy, highlighting strong free cash flow, a prudent capital plan and attractive valuation — another institutional vote of confidence that may buoy investor sentiment. Buy Rating on Antero Resources Driven by Strong Free Cash Flow, Prudent Capital Plan, and Attractive Valuation Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Company press release: AR reported Q4 2025 revenue growth (~+20.8% y/y) and provided 2026 guidance; one summary noted EPS of $0.62 vs. a $0.49 consensus and revenue of $1.41B, which investors may view as underlying operational strength. Antero Resources Announces Fourth Quarter 2025 Results and 2026 Guidance (Press Release / Slides)
• Neutral Sentiment: Antero Midstream reported Q4 results and 2026 guidance; midstream performance and guidance can influence AR indirectly (through takeaway/fee outlook) but impacts are company-structure dependent. Antero Midstream Announces Fourth Quarter 2025 Results and 2026 Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media commentary (Seeking Alpha pieces) present bullish takes on year-end results and midstream growth — supportive narrative but opinion-based and already reflected in analyst notes. Antero Resources: Ending The Fiscal Year With A Bang
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets (Zacks) flagged an EPS miss for Q4 (different metrics/adjustments produced a $0.42 figure vs. some reported $0.62), noting lower oil output and higher costs — these operational headwinds and mixed reporting can drive short-term selling. Antero Resources Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put activity — traders bought ~33,844 put contracts (≈+155% vs. avg) — signals elevated bearish/options hedging flow that can amplify downward pressure in the near term.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $39.00 target price (down from $44.00) on shares of Antero Resources in a report on Monday, December 8th. Tudor Pickering upgraded Antero Resources from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Antero Resources from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $39.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Antero Resources presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.60.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Antero Resources

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AR. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Antero Resources by 16,498.3% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 9,627 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $389,000 after acquiring an additional 9,569 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 590,555 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $23,882,000 after purchasing an additional 43,312 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in Antero Resources by 18.9% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 19,921 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $806,000 after purchasing an additional 3,169 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in Antero Resources by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 46,587 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $1,877,000 after purchasing an additional 6,731 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC grew its holdings in Antero Resources by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 29,641 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $1,194,000 after buying an additional 2,527 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.04% of the company’s stock.

Antero Resources Trading Down 3.7%

Shares of AR opened at $33.82 on Friday. Antero Resources has a fifty-two week low of $29.10 and a fifty-two week high of $44.01. The business has a 50-day moving average of $34.12 and a 200 day moving average of $33.36. The firm has a market cap of $10.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.74 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.31.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. Antero Resources had a net margin of 12.02% and a return on equity of 6.76%. The company’s revenue was up 20.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.48 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Antero Resources will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

About Antero Resources

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.