Traders Buy High Volume of Honeywell International Call Options (NASDAQ:HON)

Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:HON) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders acquired 32,316 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 267% compared to the typical volume of 8,803 call options.

Honeywell International Stock Performance

NASDAQ HON opened at $222.88 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $206.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $215.68. Honeywell International has a 12-month low of $179.36 and a 12-month high of $242.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. The company has a market cap of $143.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.59, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.07.

Honeywell International (NASDAQ:HON) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The conglomerate reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.30. Honeywell International had a net margin of 14.82% and a return on equity of 35.78%. The business had revenue of $9.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.25 EPS. Honeywell International’s revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Honeywell International will post 10.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Honeywell International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 16th will be given a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 16th. Honeywell International’s payout ratio is currently 51.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on HON. Bank of America raised shares of Honeywell International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Honeywell International from $253.00 to $229.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Honeywell International from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Honeywell International from $210.00 to $217.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Honeywell International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Honeywell International currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.23.

Institutional Trading of Honeywell International

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in Honeywell International by 1,077.2% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 141,642 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,993,000 after purchasing an additional 129,610 shares during the period. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI lifted its stake in Honeywell International by 45.2% during the 1st quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 341,885 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $72,394,000 after acquiring an additional 106,471 shares in the last quarter. AAF Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Honeywell International by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. AAF Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,155 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $245,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC bought a new position in Honeywell International during the 1st quarter valued at $320,000. Finally, Clearline Capital LP lifted its stake in Honeywell International by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. Clearline Capital LP now owns 13,032 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,760,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.91% of the company’s stock.

About Honeywell International

Honeywell International Inc engages in the aerospace technologies, building automation, energy and sustainable solutions, and industrial automation businesses in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company’s Aerospace segment offers auxiliary power units, propulsion engines, integrated avionics, environmental control and electric power systems, engine controls, flight safety, communications, navigation hardware, data and software applications, radar and surveillance systems, aircraft lighting, advanced systems and instruments, satellite and space components, and aircraft wheels and brakes; spare parts; repair, overhaul, and maintenance services; and thermal systems, as well as wireless connectivity services.