GAP Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:GAP)

The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Investors acquired 21,345 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 32% compared to the average volume of 16,115 call options.

GAP Stock Down 4.7 %

Shares of GAP stock traded down $0.99 during trading on Friday, reaching $20.24. 5,167,671 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,442,420. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $22.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $22.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.59 billion, a PE ratio of 9.36, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 2.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 0.84. GAP has a 1-year low of $18.54 and a 1-year high of $26.41.

GAP (NYSE:GAP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.18. GAP had a net margin of 5.40% and a return on equity of 29.03%. The firm had revenue of $4.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.07 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect that GAP will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

GAP Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be paid a $0.165 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 9th. This is a positive change from GAP's previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. GAP's payout ratio is presently 29.86%.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of GAP from $31.00 to $29.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 7th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of GAP from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 10th. Barclays upped their target price on GAP from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Argus upgraded GAP from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $27.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $26.00 price objective on shares of GAP in a report on Friday, March 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $29.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mark Breitbard sold 16,055 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.43, for a total transaction of $328,003.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 123,985 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,533,013.55. This represents a 11.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Elisabeth B. Donohue sold 3,539 shares of GAP stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.04, for a total transaction of $74,460.56. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $84,160. The trade was a 46.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 177,495 shares of company stock valued at $3,598,459 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 31.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GAP

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in GAP stock. California State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of The Gap, Inc. (NYSE:GAP - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 209,599 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,953,000. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.06% of GAP as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.81% of the company's stock.

About GAP

Gap, Inc operates as a global apparel retail company, which offers clothing, apparel, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children. The firm operates through the following segments: Gap Global, Old Navy Global, Banana Republic Global, Athleta, and Other. The Gap Global segment includes apparel and accessories for men and women under the Gap brand, along with the GapKids, BabyGap, GapMaternity, GapBody, and GapFit collections.