Aptiv Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:APTV)

Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors purchased 6,834 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 262% compared to the average volume of 1,890 put options.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Aptiv news, SVP Benjamin Lyon sold 18,680 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.69, for a total transaction of $1,451,249.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 95,211 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,396,942.59. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Aptiv

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of APTV. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. purchased a new position in Aptiv during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Greenleaf Trust grew its stake in Aptiv by 12.0% during the first quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,792 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $222,000 after acquiring an additional 299 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in Aptiv by 2.3% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 327,367 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $26,075,000 after acquiring an additional 7,289 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its stake in Aptiv by 140.3% during the first quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 8,031 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $640,000 after acquiring an additional 4,689 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its stake in Aptiv by 27.3% during the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 812 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.21% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Aptiv from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on shares of Aptiv from $149.00 to $148.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Aptiv from $115.00 to $104.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of Aptiv from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $105.00 to $96.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Aptiv from $112.00 to $110.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Aptiv has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $109.93.

Aptiv Stock Performance

NYSE APTV opened at $71.00 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $76.21 and its 200-day moving average is $80.93. Aptiv has a 12-month low of $68.84 and a 12-month high of $113.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The firm has a market cap of $19.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.90.

Aptiv (NYSE:APTV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The auto parts company reported $1.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.11. Aptiv had a net margin of 14.65% and a return on equity of 13.32%. The company had revenue of $4.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.95 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Aptiv will post 5.63 earnings per share for the current year.

About Aptiv

Aptiv PLC engages in design, manufacture, and sale of vehicle components in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, South America, and internationally. The company provides electrical, electronic, and safety technology solutions to the automotive and commercial vehicle markets. It operates through two segments, Signal and Power Solutions, and Advanced Safety and User Experience.