Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $32.35, but opened at $34.27. Antero Resources shares last traded at $33.3920, with a volume of 1,058,350 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on AR shares. Tudor Pickering raised Antero Resources from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Antero Resources in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Antero Resources from $39.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Antero Resources from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.94.

Antero Resources Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $10.10 billion, a PE ratio of 17.42 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $34.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.45.

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.38). Antero Resources had a net margin of 11.73% and a return on equity of 7.51%. The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.25 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.07) EPS. Antero Resources’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Antero Resources Corporation will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Antero Resources

In related news, insider Brendan E. Krueger bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $33.35 per share, for a total transaction of $166,750.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 295,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,868,831.95. This trade represents a 1.72% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 6.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Antero Resources

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of AR. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 91.3% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 656 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Antero Resources in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Antero Resources in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Antero Resources by 59.2% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 928 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 345 shares during the period. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Antero Resources by 114.2% during the 2nd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 938 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.04% of the company’s stock.

About Antero Resources

Antero Resources Corporation is an independent exploration and production company focused on the development of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and oil properties in the Appalachian Basin of the United States. The company’s operations target the Marcellus and Utica shales, where it applies advanced drilling and completion techniques to optimize recovery from its large acreage position. Antero’s portfolio encompasses significant reserves of ethane, propane and other NGLs, alongside dry gas volumes that are positioned to serve both domestic and export markets.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Antero Resources holds approximately 1.8 million net acres of leasehold interests across parts of West Virginia and Ohio.