Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Bentley Systems (NASDAQ:BSY)

Bentley Systems, Incorporated (NASDAQ:BSY) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors bought 10,130 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 3,584% compared to the average volume of 275 call options.

Bentley Systems Stock Performance

BSY stock remained flat at $32.26 on Friday. 3,927,087 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,697,978. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. Bentley Systems has a 52 week low of $28.08 and a 52 week high of $59.25. The company has a market capitalization of $9.43 billion, a PE ratio of 36.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a 50-day moving average of $31.94 and a 200-day moving average of $35.03.

Bentley Systems (NASDAQ:BSY) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $424.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $419.80 million. Bentley Systems had a net margin of 18.12% and a return on equity of 28.65%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.35 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Bentley Systems will post 1.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Bentley Systems Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 11th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 2nd were issued a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 2nd. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Bentley Systems’s payout ratio is presently 31.82%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Bentley Systems by 1,529.3% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 668 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 627 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Bentley Systems by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 375,054 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,242,000 after purchasing an additional 9,557 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Bentley Systems by 97.5% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 160,644 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,670,000 after purchasing an additional 79,286 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Bentley Systems in the second quarter worth approximately $212,000. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bentley Systems in the second quarter worth approximately $248,000. Institutional investors own 44.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on BSY. Bank of America started coverage on Bentley Systems in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Barclays lowered their price target on Bentley Systems from $49.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 29th. Zacks Research cut Bentley Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Bentley Systems in a report on Thursday, June 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on Bentley Systems from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.50.

Bentley Systems Company Profile

Bentley Systems, Inc is a global software provider specializing in infrastructure engineering applications for the design, construction, and operations of roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, water and wastewater networks, power plants and grids, industrial facilities, and communications infrastructure. Founded in 1984 by brothers Keith and Barry Bentley, the company is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, and maintains offices and development centers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.