Energy Transfer Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:ET)

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 890,421 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 826% compared to the typical daily volume of 96,205 call options.

Energy Transfer Stock Performance

Shares of ET opened at $20.37 on Friday. Energy Transfer has a 1 year low of $13.79 and a 1 year high of $21.45. The company has a market cap of $69.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.08. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $19.69 and a 200-day moving average of $17.59.

Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The pipeline company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.32. The company had revenue of $20.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.59 billion. Energy Transfer had a net margin of 5.90% and a return on equity of 12.38%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.31 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Energy Transfer will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Energy Transfer Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 19th. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a $0.325 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $1.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.38%. This is an increase from Energy Transfer’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Energy Transfer’s dividend payout ratio is presently 94.85%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Energy Transfer

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in Energy Transfer by 77.4% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 46,063 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $747,000 after acquiring an additional 20,093 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. raised its position in Energy Transfer by 26.5% in the third quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 32,172 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $516,000 after acquiring an additional 6,735 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Advisory LLC raised its position in Energy Transfer by 3.6% in the third quarter. Axiom Advisory LLC now owns 35,466 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $571,000 after acquiring an additional 1,248 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC raised its position in Energy Transfer by 5.6% in the third quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 137,660 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $2,209,000 after acquiring an additional 7,344 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atomi Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Energy Transfer by 11.8% in the third quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 32,840 shares of the pipeline company’s stock worth $527,000 after acquiring an additional 3,472 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 38.22% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on ET. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Energy Transfer in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $20.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Energy Transfer from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $20.82.

Energy Transfer Company Profile

Energy Transfer LP provides energy-related services. The company owns and operates natural gas transportation pipeline, and natural gas storage facilities in Texas and Oklahoma; and approximately 20,090 miles of interstate natural gas pipeline. It also sells natural gas to electric utilities, independent power plants, local distribution and other marketing companies, and industrial end-users.