Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Sysco (NYSE:SYY)

Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock investors acquired 4,068 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 111% compared to the average daily volume of 1,932 call options.

Key Sysco News

Here are the key news stories impacting Sysco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deal expands Sysco into cash‑and‑carry and is forecast by some analysts to be EPS‑accretive with synergies and stronger free cash flow over time. SYY’s Jetro Deal Opens a New Growth Path in Cash & Carry
• Positive Sentiment: Company positioned to buy real estate/warehouse scale it couldn’t build quickly — operational leverage and faster network expansion could improve margins long term. Sysco is Buying the Warehouse It Could Never Build
• Neutral Sentiment: Deal mechanics: ~$29.1B enterprise value (≈$21.6B cash + 91.5M Sysco shares), expected close by mid‑to‑late 2027, and subject to regulatory approval — factual items that set the timeline and execution risk. Sysco to Acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst landscape is mixed: Wall‑street support for strategic rationale exists (multiple buy/overweight ratings earlier), but some firms are revising models while others flag the long time horizon to prove the thesis. Sysco Receives Consensus Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Citi and other shops cut targets and flagged the large incremental debt and near‑term leverage; Citi lowered its target to $72 and kept a Neutral rating — pressure on credit metrics and a pause to buybacks are key investor concerns. Sysco Receives a Downgrade From Citi Due to Debt Load
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares sold off on worries about heavy debt financing, potential dilution, integration/regulatory risk and the company pausing buybacks to de‑lever — short‑term downside risk until execution/credit path is clearer. Sysco shares slide as investors digest leverage and dilution

Insider Activity at Sysco

In other Sysco news, Director Sheila Talton sold 2,801 shares of Sysco stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.99, for a total value of $232,454.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,868 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,067,915.32. The trade was a 17.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Ronald L. Phillips sold 5,601 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $453,681.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 35,965 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,913,165. The trade was a 13.47% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.56% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Sysco

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. bought a new position in shares of Sysco in the third quarter worth $25,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sysco by 75.0% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in Sysco in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Motiv8 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Sysco in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services grew its position in Sysco by 875.7% in the 3rd quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.41% of the company’s stock.

Sysco Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of NYSE:SYY opened at $71.28 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.45. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $84.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $79.47. The company has a market cap of $34.14 billion, a PE ratio of 19.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.58. Sysco has a fifty-two week low of $67.12 and a fifty-two week high of $91.85.

Sysco (NYSE:SYY) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.01. Sysco had a net margin of 2.17% and a return on equity of 109.21%. The firm had revenue of $20.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.80 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. Sysco’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sysco has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.600-4.600 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Sysco will post 4.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Sysco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 2nd. Sysco’s dividend payout ratio is 58.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SYY has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Sysco from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Sysco from $92.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Argus raised shares of Sysco to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $90.00 target price on Sysco and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on Sysco from $80.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Sysco has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $89.08.

Sysco Company Profile

Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY) is a global foodservice distribution company that supplies a broad range of food and related products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments, and other foodservice customers. Its core business is the procurement, warehousing and delivery of fresh, frozen and dry food products, complemented by non-food items such as paper goods, kitchen equipment, cleaning supplies and tabletop products. Sysco serves customers through an extensive network of distribution centers and dedicated delivery fleets, positioning itself as a one-stop supplier for operators of all sizes.

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sysco has grown through both organic expansion and acquisitions.