Traders Purchase Large Volume of Suncor Energy Put Options (NYSE:SU)

Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU - Get Free Report) TSE: SU was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 28,315 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 2,998% compared to the typical volume of 914 put options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Suncor Energy

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Suncor Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 62.1% in the 4th quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 848 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Suncor Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Suncor Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Suncor Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.37% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on SU shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $66.00 price objective on shares of Suncor Energy in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Desjardins upgraded Suncor Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. upgraded Suncor Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Cibc World Mkts upgraded Suncor Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded Suncor Energy from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $58.00.

Suncor Energy Stock Down 2.1 %

Suncor Energy stock traded down $0.83 during trading on Friday, reaching $39.34. 1,057,581 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,456,424. The company's 50-day moving average is $37.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.33. Suncor Energy has a 52-week low of $33.26 and a 52-week high of $41.94. The firm has a market cap of $48.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.40, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.12.

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU - Get Free Report) TSE: SU last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.07. Suncor Energy had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 15.37%. On average, analysts predict that Suncor Energy will post 3.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Suncor Energy Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 4th will be given a $0.399 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.06%. Suncor Energy's payout ratio is currently 46.67%.

Suncor Energy Company Profile

Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment explores, develops, and produces bitumen, synthetic crude oil, and related products.