Mosaic Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:MOS)

The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Investors purchased 25,438 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 161% compared to the typical volume of 9,734 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MOS shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Mosaic from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Mosaic from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Mosaic from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Barclays raised shares of Mosaic from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $27.00 to $33.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Mosaic from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $32.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MOS. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in Mosaic in the 3rd quarter valued at about $244,000. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its position in Mosaic by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 54,721 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,465,000 after acquiring an additional 3,301 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new position in Mosaic in the 3rd quarter valued at about $299,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in Mosaic by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 190,195 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $5,093,000 after acquiring an additional 14,967 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lifted its position in Mosaic by 67.2% in the 3rd quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 79,014 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,117,000 after acquiring an additional 31,766 shares in the last quarter. 77.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Mosaic Stock Down 1.9 %

NYSE:MOS traded down $0.55 on Friday, hitting $27.83. The stock had a trading volume of 7,382,409 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,291,115. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Mosaic has a 52 week low of $22.48 and a 52 week high of $33.44. The business's fifty day moving average is $26.54 and its 200 day moving average is $26.16. The company has a market cap of $8.82 billion, a PE ratio of 24.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.34.

Mosaic Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 5th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 5th. Mosaic's dividend payout ratio is currently 160.00%.

Mosaic Company Profile

The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. It owns and operates mines, which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients, such as diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and ammoniated phosphate products; and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients primarily under the Biofos and Nexfos brand names, as well as produces a double sulfate of potash magnesia product under K-Mag brand name.