Stock Traders Buy High Volume of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Put Options (NYSEARCA:EFA)

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Traders bought 99,609 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 33% compared to the typical volume of 74,728 put options.

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Stock Up 0.7 %

EFA stock traded up $0.52 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $79.44. The company had a trading volume of 5,093,139 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,028,288. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has a 1 year low of $65.68 and a 1 year high of $80.06. The company has a 50 day moving average of $78.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $74.86.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EFA. Howe & Rusling Inc. grew its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 112.7% in the 4th quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 336 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 346 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Arjuna Capital bought a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 183.1% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 402 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 198.6% in the 4th quarter. Joseph Group Capital Management now owns 418 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.80% of the company’s stock.

About iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund’s investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance.