Investors Buy Large Volume of Suncor Energy Put Options (NYSE:SU)

Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) (TSE:SU) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 28,315 put options on the stock. This is an increase of 2,998% compared to the typical volume of 914 put options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on SU shares. Desjardins raised Suncor Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Suncor Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Suncor Energy from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $66.00 target price on shares of Suncor Energy in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Suncor Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $58.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of Suncor Energy during the third quarter worth $25,000. Waldron Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Suncor Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $49,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in Suncor Energy by 27.5% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,389 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in Suncor Energy by 2,311.0% in the 3rd quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,977 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 1,895 shares during the period. Finally, Mattson Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Suncor Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at $82,000. 67.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Suncor Energy Price Performance

Shares of SU stock opened at $39.22 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company has a market capitalization of $48.81 billion, a PE ratio of 8.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 1.12. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $38.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.53. Suncor Energy has a 12 month low of $31.25 and a 12 month high of $41.94.

Suncor Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 3rd were issued a $0.4089 dividend. This is a positive change from Suncor Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 3rd. Suncor Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.08%.

Suncor Energy Company Profile

Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment explores, develops, and produces bitumen, synthetic crude oil, and related products.