Natixis Acquires 17,305 Shares of Antero Resources Co. (NYSE:AR)

Natixis increased its position in shares of Antero Resources Co. (NYSE:AR - Free Report) by 103.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,999 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock after buying an additional 17,305 shares during the period. Natixis' holdings in Antero Resources were worth $1,192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Antero Resources during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Spire Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Antero Resources during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in shares of Antero Resources by 205.2% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,358 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 913 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 59.6% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,401 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 523 shares during the period. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Antero Resources during the 4th quarter worth approximately $56,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.04% of the company's stock.

Antero Resources Stock Performance

NYSE:AR traded up $0.79 on Friday, reaching $35.33. 5,498,209 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,131,555. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $34.57. Antero Resources Co. has a 52 week low of $24.53 and a 52 week high of $42.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $10.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 110.41 and a beta of 3.08.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.14. Antero Resources had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 0.74%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Antero Resources Co. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Antero Resources from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com upgraded Antero Resources to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Antero Resources from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Williams Trading set a $48.00 target price on shares of Antero Resources in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, TD Cowen raised shares of Antero Resources from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the company from $40.00 to $46.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.44.

Insider Transactions at Antero Resources

In other news, Director W Howard Keenan, Jr. sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.76, for a total value of $7,952,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,800,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $71,568,000. This represents a 10.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 6.70% of the company's stock.

Antero Resources Company Profile

Antero Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the development, production, exploration, and acquisition of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and oil properties in the United States. It operates in three segments: Exploration and Development; Marketing; and Equity Method Investment in Antero Midstream.