Suncor Energy Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:SU)

Suncor Energy Inc. (NYSE:SU) (TSE:SU) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders bought 28,315 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 2,998% compared to the average volume of 914 put options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SU. Morgan Stanley downgraded Suncor Energy from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Desjardins upgraded shares of Suncor Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $66.00 target price on shares of Suncor Energy in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Suncor Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Suncor Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $58.00.

Suncor Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:SU opened at $38.44 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $47.84 billion, a PE ratio of 8.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.12. Suncor Energy has a fifty-two week low of $31.25 and a fifty-two week high of $41.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.59. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $37.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $38.54.

Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU) (TSE:SU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.07. Suncor Energy had a net margin of 15.19% and a return on equity of 15.67%. Equities research analysts predict that Suncor Energy will post 3.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Suncor Energy Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 4th will be issued a $0.399 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.15%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 4th. Suncor Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.67%.

Institutional Trading of Suncor Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Suncor Energy by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 12,423 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $443,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in Suncor Energy by 27.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,389 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Suncor Energy by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 112,925 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $4,169,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the last quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 62.1% in the fourth quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 848 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its holdings in shares of Suncor Energy by 11.9% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,142 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.37% of the company’s stock.

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.