AT&T Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:T)

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) was the target of some unusual options trading on Friday. Investors purchased 502,823 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 796% compared to the typical daily volume of 56,142 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on T shares. Williams Trading set a $33.00 target price on AT&T in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of AT&T in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of AT&T from $32.00 to $30.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of AT&T in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of AT&T from $31.00 to $30.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $29.42.

AT&T Stock Performance

Shares of AT&T stock opened at $24.00 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. AT&T has a 52 week low of $21.38 and a 52 week high of $29.79. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $24.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $170.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.39.

AT&T (NYSE:T) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The technology company reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.54. The business had revenue of $30.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.85 billion. AT&T had a net margin of 17.87% and a return on equity of 12.72%. The company’s revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.60 EPS. Research analysts forecast that AT&T will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AT&T Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a $0.2775 dividend. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. AT&T’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.04%.

Institutional Trading of AT&T

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in T. Front Row Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AT&T in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. raised its position in AT&T by 363.7% in the 3rd quarter. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. now owns 895 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares during the last quarter. GGM Financials LLC purchased a new stake in AT&T in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. O Brien Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in AT&T during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Kennebec Savings Bank grew its position in AT&T by 412.1% during the 2nd quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank now owns 973 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 783 shares during the last quarter. 57.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AT&T Company Profile

AT&T Inc is a global telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and digital entertainment services. Its core activities include consumer and business wireless services, broadband and fiber internet, and network infrastructure. The company operates branded wireless services through AT&T Mobility and deploys fixed-line and fiber networks to deliver high-speed internet and related home services.

AT&T’s product and service portfolio spans mobile voice and data plans, smartphones and device sales, home internet (including fiber-to-the-home where available), and managed connectivity solutions for enterprise customers.