Stock Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY)

Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders bought 66,895 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 81% compared to the average volume of 37,032 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on BMY shares. Scotiabank reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $60.00 price objective (up from $53.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price target (up from $55.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $72.00 price objective (up from $62.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $61.41.

Bristol Myers Squibb Stock Down 3.5%

BMY opened at $59.57 on Friday. Bristol Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $42.52 and a 12 month high of $62.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $59.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.57. The company has a market cap of $121.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.27.

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.65 by ($0.39). The company had revenue of $12.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.24 billion. Bristol Myers Squibb had a net margin of 14.64% and a return on equity of 69.65%. The company’s revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.67 earnings per share. Bristol Myers Squibb has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.050-6.350 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Bristol Myers Squibb will post 6.74 EPS for the current year.

Bristol Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Bristol Myers Squibb’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.04%.

Key Bristol Myers Squibb News

Here are the key news stories impacting Bristol Myers Squibb this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase 3 data for Camzyos (SCOUT‑HCM) in adolescents may expand the label/profile for BMY’s cardiac myosin inhibitor, strengthening the late‑stage pipeline and future revenue potential. SCOUT‑HCM Trial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Janux Therapeutics triggered a $35M milestone under its collaboration with BMY after nominating a development candidate — a near‑term cash/partner validation and a de‑risking signal for partnered R&D. Janux Milestone
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option activity (≈66,900 calls traded) indicates speculative bullish interest from traders positioning for upside. (Market data entry)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and screens (Zacks/Trefis pieces) highlight BMY’s history of earnings surprises and a view that the company has ingredients to beat upcoming results — supportive for investor sentiment. Analyst Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses project HNSCC market growth to ~$4.5B by 2034 (CAGR ≈8.4%), a long‑term addressable market note that may matter if BMY advances therapies in that space. HNSCC Market Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports on growth in the advanced renal cell carcinoma market highlight broader oncology tailwinds that include BMY among peers — useful context but not an immediate stock catalyst. RCC Market Report
• Neutral Sentiment: BMY published community and program updates around multiple myeloma care and equity initiatives — positive for ESG/community positioning but unlikely to move near‑term revenue. Community Program Release
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: EVP David V. Elkins sold 30,000 shares at ~$61.67 on April 1 (Form 4 filing), reducing his stake ~15.9% — an action investors may view negatively even if it’s routine. Insider Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (reported Feb. 5) showed an EPS miss ($1.26 vs. $1.65 est.), even as revenue slightly beat; that earnings disappointment and investor focus on near‑term profitability remain headwinds despite FY‑26 guidance of $6.05–$6.35. (Company filings/earnings release)

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Bristol Myers Squibb news, EVP David V. Elkins sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.67, for a total transaction of $1,850,100.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 159,248 shares in the company, valued at $9,820,824.16. This trade represents a 15.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bristol Myers Squibb

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 33.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,728 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,116,000 after acquiring an additional 4,935 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb by 59.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 7,477 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $346,000 after purchasing an additional 2,786 shares during the period. United Bank increased its holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb by 15.0% during the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 25,148 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,164,000 after purchasing an additional 3,277 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its position in Bristol Myers Squibb by 74.1% during the 2nd quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 164,406 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $7,610,000 after purchasing an additional 69,966 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VestGen Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb by 18.7% in the 2nd quarter. VestGen Advisors LLC now owns 4,474 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $207,000 after buying an additional 706 shares during the period. 76.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Bristol Myers Squibb Company Profile

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on discovering, developing and delivering medicines for serious diseases. The company’s core activities include research and development, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of prescription pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas. BMS concentrates on advancing therapies in oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and specialty areas through both small molecules and biologics.

BMS’s marketed portfolio and late‑stage pipeline reflect a strong emphasis on cancer and immune‑mediated conditions.