Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Mosaic (NYSE:MOS)

The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors bought 32,092 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 132% compared to the average volume of 13,829 call options.

Mosaic Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MOS opened at $25.43 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $23.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $23.80. Mosaic has a 1-year low of $19.80 and a 1-year high of $36.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.08 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.59, a P/E/G ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Mosaic (NYSE:MOS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.10 billion. Mosaic had a negative net margin of 5.21% and a positive return on equity of 3.77%. The business’s revenue was down 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Mosaic will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mosaic Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. Mosaic’s dividend payout ratio is presently -43.56%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MOS. Berenberg Bank dropped their price objective on Mosaic from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Mizuho set a $25.00 target price on Mosaic in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Mosaic from $28.00 to $26.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on Mosaic in a report on Thursday. They issued a “sector weight” rating for the company. Finally, HSBC dropped their price target on Mosaic from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Mosaic news, SVP Walter Precourt, III sold 23,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.12, for a total transaction of $508,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 116,198 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,570,299.76. This trade represents a 16.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mosaic

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Mosaic by 169.3% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 956 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Mosaic in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in Mosaic by 72.9% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 1,245 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Mosaic during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Gen Wealth Partners Inc acquired a new position in Mosaic during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.54% of the company’s stock.

Mosaic Company Profile

The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS) is a global producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. Its products are used by farmers to replenish essential nutrients in soil and support agricultural yields. The company also produces animal feed ingredients and other phosphorus-based products derived from its phosphate operations.

Mosaic’s operations span the production, processing, distribution and marketing of crop nutrients. Its phosphate business is supported by phosphate rock mining and processing operations, while its potash business includes mining and processing facilities in Canada and the United States.