STMicroelectronics Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:STM)

STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:STM) was the target of some unusual options trading on Friday. Investors purchased 26,579 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 42% compared to the average daily volume of 18,704 call options.

STMicroelectronics Stock Down 4.9%

NYSE STM traded down $3.69 on Friday, reaching $71.19. 5,727,584 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,322,442. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a current ratio of 3.31. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $64.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.54. The company has a market cap of $63.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 444.48 and a beta of 1.94. STMicroelectronics has a 12 month low of $21.11 and a 12 month high of $81.42.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) last issued its earnings results on Saturday, March 28th. The semiconductor producer reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 3.01% and a net margin of 1.19%. As a group, research analysts forecast that STMicroelectronics will post 1.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Abound Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 3,746.2% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the semiconductor producer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 974 shares in the last quarter. Portus Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in STMicroelectronics during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in STMicroelectronics during the first quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in STMicroelectronics in the third quarter worth approximately $52,000. 5.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research note on Sunday, April 26th. Craig Hallum upgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $58.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $90.00 price objective on shares of STMicroelectronics in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group set a $100.00 price objective on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $64.39.

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, formed through the 1987 merger of SGS Microelettronica and Thomson Semiconducteurs. The company designs, develops and manufactures a broad range of semiconductor products and solutions that serve multiple end markets worldwide. ST’s offerings span from basic components to integrated systems, emphasizing energy-efficient and high-performance devices for modern electronics.

Product categories include microcontrollers (notably the widely used STM32 family), analog and mixed-signal ICs, power MOSFETs and power-management devices, MEMS and sensors, image sensors, and discrete semiconductors.