Suncor Energy Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:SU)

Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) (TSE:SU) saw unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 28,315 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 2,998% compared to the average daily volume of 914 put options.

Suncor Energy Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of Suncor Energy stock opened at $38.29 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $47.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.34, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.12. Suncor Energy has a one year low of $31.03 and a one year high of $41.94. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $37.97 and its 200 day moving average is $38.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Suncor Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 24th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 3rd were issued a $0.4089 dividend. This is a boost from Suncor Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 3rd. Suncor Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.60%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SU shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Suncor Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 26th. Desjardins raised Suncor Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 14th. Morgan Stanley cut Suncor Energy from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $66.00 price objective on shares of Suncor Energy in a research note on Tuesday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $58.00.

Institutional Trading of Suncor Energy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SU. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. bought a new position in shares of Suncor Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $223,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Suncor Energy by 15.8% in the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 20,813 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $743,000 after purchasing an additional 2,837 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Suncor Energy by 23.0% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,939,573 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $256,429,000 after acquiring an additional 1,296,142 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in Suncor Energy by 0.8% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,619,354 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $146,948,000 after acquiring an additional 29,014 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp purchased a new position in Suncor Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $206,000. 67.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.