Huntsman Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:HUN)

Huntsman Co. (NYSE:HUN) was the target of some unusual options trading on Friday. Traders purchased 30,101 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 1,873% compared to the average volume of 1,526 put options.

Huntsman Stock Performance

HUN opened at $17.00 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $21.48. The firm has a market cap of $2.94 billion, a PE ratio of -24.64 and a beta of 0.97. Huntsman has a fifty-two week low of $17.00 and a fifty-two week high of $27.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Huntsman (NYSE:HUN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.55 billion. Huntsman had a negative return on equity of 0.03% and a negative net margin of 1.99%. Huntsman’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.15 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Huntsman will post 0.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Huntsman Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 13th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.88%. Huntsman’s dividend payout ratio is presently -144.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on HUN shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Huntsman from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Huntsman from $26.00 to $25.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Huntsman from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Huntsman from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $24.14.

Insider Activity at Huntsman

In related news, Director Mary C. Beckerle sold 20,201 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.42, for a total value of $432,705.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Huntsman

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Huntsman by 10.3% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,342,478 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,488,000 after purchasing an additional 124,841 shares during the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Huntsman by 84.6% in the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 28,098 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $680,000 after purchasing an additional 12,875 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its position in Huntsman by 15.3% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 22,281 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $539,000 after purchasing an additional 2,951 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Huntsman by 1.6% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,583,522 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $62,538,000 after purchasing an additional 40,330 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Huntsman in the third quarter valued at approximately $203,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.81% of the company’s stock.

Huntsman Company Profile

Huntsman Corporation manufactures and sells diversified organic chemical products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Polyurethanes, Performance Products, and Advanced Materials. The Polyurethanes segment offers polyurethane chemicals, including methyl diphenyl diisocyanate, polyether and polyester polyols, and thermoplastic polyurethane; and aniline, benzene, nitrobenzene and other co-products.