Antero Midstream Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:AM)

Antero Midstream Co. (NYSE:AM - Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders bought 31,036 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 1,845% compared to the average daily volume of 1,596 put options.

Antero Midstream Price Performance

Shares of AM traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $15.56. 2,476,772 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,026,136. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. The company has a market cap of $7.49 billion, a PE ratio of 19.21 and a beta of 2.39. Antero Midstream has a 52-week low of $11.58 and a 52-week high of $16.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $15.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.90.

Antero Midstream Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were given a dividend of $0.225 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.78%. Antero Midstream's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 111.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AM. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Antero Midstream from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $16.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Antero Midstream from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Brooks J. Klimley sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.66, for a total value of $146,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 74,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,086,306. This represents a 11.89 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.61% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Antero Midstream

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AM. Everence Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Antero Midstream during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $451,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Antero Midstream by 44.5% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,372 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 1,962 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Antero Midstream by 12.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,906,052 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $28,686,000 after acquiring an additional 203,967 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Antero Midstream during the 3rd quarter worth about $680,000. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Antero Midstream by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 12,263 shares of the pipeline company's stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 705 shares during the last quarter. 53.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Antero Midstream

Antero Midstream Corporation owns, operates, and develops midstream energy assets in the Appalachian Basin. It operates in two segments, Gathering and Processing, and Water Handling. The Gathering and Processing segment includes a network of gathering pipelines and compressor stations that collects and processes production from Antero Resources' wells in West Virginia and Ohio.