Children’s Place Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:PLCE)

The Children’s Place, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLCE) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Investors bought 5,125 put options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 129% compared to the average volume of 2,238 put options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PLCE shares. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Children’s Place from $8.00 to $5.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Children’s Place in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $5.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Muhammad Umair acquired 7,143 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 8th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $7.00 per share, for a total transaction of $50,001.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 277,667 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,943,669. The trade was a 2.64% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Children’s Place

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in Children’s Place in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Corton Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Children’s Place in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Founders Financial Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Children’s Place in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Keel Point LLC bought a new stake in Children’s Place during the third quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Prelude Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Children’s Place in the third quarter valued at $99,000.

Children’s Place Trading Down 0.7%

PLCE opened at $4.01 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $7.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $6.12. Children’s Place has a fifty-two week low of $3.66 and a fifty-two week high of $11.99. The company has a market cap of $88.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.53 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 75.63, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.19.

Children’s Place (NASDAQ:PLCE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 16th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.70 by ($0.88). The firm had revenue of $339.47 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $370.29 million.

About Children’s Place

The Children’s Place, Inc (NASDAQ: PLCE) is a leading specialty retailer of children’s apparel, footwear and accessories, operating an omnichannel platform that serves families across North America. Headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey, the company combines an extensive network of brick-and-mortar stores with a full-service e-commerce site to deliver a wide range of private-label products for newborns, toddlers and kids up to pre-teen. By focusing on value-priced, fashion-forward merchandise, The Children’s Place has built a recognizable brand in the youth apparel market.

The company’s product portfolio encompasses core categories such as tops, bottoms, sleepwear and outerwear, along with footwear and seasonal accessories.