Investors Purchase Large Volume of Mosaic Call Options (NYSE:MOS)

The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) saw some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Stock investors bought 19,587 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 92% compared to the average daily volume of 10,216 call options.

Mosaic Price Performance

Shares of MOS opened at $25.72 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.15 billion, a PE ratio of 22.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.04. Mosaic has a 52-week low of $22.36 and a 52-week high of $32.29. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $25.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 1.19.

Mosaic Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 5th. Mosaic’s dividend payout ratio is presently 160.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on MOS shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Mosaic from $40.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Mosaic from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Mosaic from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Mosaic to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Mosaic from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $26.00 to $29.00 in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.58.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mosaic

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MOS. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Mosaic by 25.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 13,298 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $356,000 after buying an additional 2,686 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp boosted its holdings in Mosaic by 1.8% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 73,007 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,955,000 after acquiring an additional 1,266 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in Mosaic by 27.6% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 245,099 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,564,000 after acquiring an additional 53,072 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Mosaic in the third quarter valued at approximately $511,000. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Mosaic by 0.9% during the third quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 99,473 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,664,000 after acquiring an additional 932 shares in the last quarter. 77.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Mosaic

The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. It owns and operates mines, which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients, such as diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and ammoniated phosphate products; and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients primarily under the Biofos and Nexfos brand names, as well as produces a double sulfate of potash magnesia product under K-Mag brand name.