Antero Resources Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:AR)

Antero Resources Co. (NYSE:AR) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 10,389 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 45% compared to the typical volume of 7,153 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on AR shares. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Antero Resources from $44.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Antero Resources from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. StockNews.com raised Antero Resources to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Benchmark restated a “hold” rating on shares of Antero Resources in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Antero Resources has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.06.

Insider Buying and Selling at Antero Resources

In other Antero Resources news, Director W Howard Keenan, Jr. sold 200,000 shares of Antero Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.76, for a total transaction of $7,952,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,800,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,568,000. The trade was a 10.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 6.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Antero Resources

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AR. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Antero Resources in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $140,020,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in Antero Resources by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 19,661,491 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $689,135,000 after purchasing an additional 2,201,429 shares in the last quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Antero Resources in the 4th quarter worth $60,980,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Antero Resources by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 11,829,263 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $414,628,000 after buying an additional 1,274,760 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Webs Creek Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Antero Resources in the fourth quarter valued at about $44,525,000. 83.04% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Antero Resources Trading Down 0.5 %

NYSE:AR traded down $0.22 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $40.80. 1,916,316 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,914,617. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $38.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.84. Antero Resources has a 52 week low of $24.53 and a 52 week high of $41.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 127.25 and a beta of 3.38.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.14. Antero Resources had a return on equity of 0.74% and a net margin of 2.31%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Antero Resources will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

About Antero Resources

Antero Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the development, production, exploration, and acquisition of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and oil properties in the United States. It operates in three segments: Exploration and Development; Marketing; and Equity Method Investment in Antero Midstream.