Investors Buy High Volume of Call Options on American Axle & Manufacturing (NYSE:AXL)

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AXL) was the target of some unusual options trading on Friday. Traders bought 6,096 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 539% compared to the typical volume of 954 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of American Axle & Manufacturing from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Cowen began coverage on American Axle & Manufacturing in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on American Axle & Manufacturing from $10.00 to $8.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $5.00 target price on shares of American Axle & Manufacturing in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of American Axle & Manufacturing from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $6.25.

American Axle & Manufacturing Trading Up 5.0 %

Shares of AXL opened at $3.99 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $4.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.29. American Axle & Manufacturing has a twelve month low of $3.00 and a twelve month high of $7.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $472.15 million, a P/E ratio of 14.25 and a beta of 1.70.

American Axle & Manufacturing (NYSE:AXL) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 2nd. The auto parts company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. American Axle & Manufacturing had a net margin of 0.57% and a return on equity of 10.44%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.18 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that American Axle & Manufacturing will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Axle & Manufacturing

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AXL. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in American Axle & Manufacturing during the fourth quarter valued at about $51,000. Ethic Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of American Axle & Manufacturing during the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Ground Swell Capital LLC acquired a new stake in American Axle & Manufacturing during the 4th quarter worth approximately $61,000. Golden State Equity Partners purchased a new position in American Axle & Manufacturing in the first quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in American Axle & Manufacturing during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $62,000. 91.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Axle & Manufacturing Company Profile

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc engages in the manufacture, engineering, design, and validation of driveline systems and related components. It operates through the Driveline and Metal Forming segments. The Driveline segment consists of axles, drive shafts, power transfer units, rear drive modules, and electric and hybrid driveline products and systems for light trucks, service utility vehicles, crossover vehicles, passenger cars, and commercial vehicles.