Short Interest in Antero Resources Co. (NYSE:AR) Rises By 5.2%

Antero Resources Co. (NYSE:AR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,350,000 shares, an increase of 5.2% from the January 15th total of 8,890,000 shares. Currently, 3.3% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 4,180,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Benchmark reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Antero Resources in a report on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $29.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Antero Resources in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $36.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com upgraded Antero Resources to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on Antero Resources from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $39.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Antero Resources news, Director W Howard Keenan, Jr. sold 200,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $71,568,000. This trade represents a 10.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 6.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Antero Resources

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AR. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in Antero Resources during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Spire Wealth Management acquired a new position in Antero Resources in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in Antero Resources in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised 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 during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of Antero Resources by 59.6% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,401 shares of the oil and natural gas company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 523 shares during the period. 83.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Antero Resources Stock Down 3.4 %

AR traded down $1.33 during trading on Friday, hitting $38.18. The company had a trading volume of 5,943,913 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,890,697. The company has a market cap of $11.88 billion, a PE ratio of 119.30 and a beta of 3.33. The business has a 50-day moving average of $37.17 and a 200-day moving average of $31.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.35. Antero Resources has a 1-year low of $24.43 and a 1-year high of $41.53.

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

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.