Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR)

Burford Capital Limited (NYSE:BUR) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors acquired 3,755 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 311% compared to the typical volume of 914 put options.

Burford Capital Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of NYSE BUR opened at $9.79 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 14.99, a quick ratio of 14.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Burford Capital has a 12-month low of $8.19 and a 12-month high of $15.73. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $9.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.16 and a beta of 0.59.

Burford Capital (NYSE:BUR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.39). Burford Capital had a return on equity of 2.71% and a net margin of 18.42%.The company had revenue of $69.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $136.03 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Burford Capital will post 1.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Burford Capital from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Burford Capital in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Burford Capital from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 21st. Finally, B. Riley restated a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 price target (down previously from $20.00) on shares of Burford Capital in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Burford Capital presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $18.00.

Institutional Trading of Burford Capital

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Burford Capital by 131.3% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,625 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 2,058 shares during the period. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Burford Capital in the 1st quarter worth about $55,000. KBC Group NV purchased a new position in shares of Burford Capital during the 2nd quarter worth about $70,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in Burford Capital during the 3rd quarter valued at about $120,000. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Burford Capital in the 3rd quarter worth about $124,000.

Burford Capital Company Profile

Burford Capital (NYSE: BUR) is a leading global finance firm that specializes in litigation and arbitration funding, risk management, and asset recovery. The company provides capital to law firms and corporate clients to finance legal fees and associated costs in commercial disputes. In exchange for funding, Burford shares in any awards or settlements, enabling clients to pursue meritorious claims without bearing upfront legal expenses.

Founded in 2009 by Christopher Bogart, Burford was among the first firms to establish a dedicated litigation finance business.