Investors Buy High Volume of Range Resources Call Options (NYSE:RRC)
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyRange Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Traders acquired 5,922 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 190% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,044 call options.
Analyst Ratings Changes
RRC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on Range Resources from $36.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Range Resources from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Range Resources from $38.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $38.00 target price (down from $44.00) on shares of Range Resources in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Range Resources from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $42.06.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on RRC
Range Resources Trading Up 1.9%
Shares of NYSE:RRC traded up $0.77 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $42.32. 2,516,200 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,334,414. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.96 billion, a PE ratio of 15.45, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.57. Range Resources has a one year low of $30.32 and a one year high of $43.50. The business’s 50 day moving average is $36.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.
Range Resources (NYSE:RRC – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $786.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $770.92 million. Range Resources had a return on equity of 16.31% and a net margin of 21.12%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Range Resources will post 2.02 earnings per share for the current year.
Range Resources Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. This is a boost from Range Resources’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Range Resources’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.60%.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Range Resources
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Range Resources by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 75,851 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $3,029,000 after buying an additional 1,563 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in shares of Range Resources by 1.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 466,796 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock worth $18,639,000 after acquiring an additional 8,816 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth purchased a new position in shares of Range Resources during the first quarter valued at approximately $285,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Range Resources by 1,464.6% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 751 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 703 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio lifted its position in Range Resources by 32.3% during the second quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 40,128 shares of the oil and gas exploration company’s stock valued at $1,632,000 after purchasing an additional 9,789 shares during the period. 98.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Range Resources Company Profile
Range Resources Corporation, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquids. The company focuses its core operations on the Appalachian Basin, with a significant presence in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. Through its drilling and completion activities, Range Resources seeks to optimize production efficiency while maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation and cost management.
The company’s technical expertise centers on advanced horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques, which it applies to unlock unconventional resources.