NextDecade Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NASDAQ:NEXT)

NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ:NEXT) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Traders bought 2,936 call options on the company. This is an increase of 16% compared to the typical volume of 2,529 call options.

Institutional Trading of NextDecade

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NEXT. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of NextDecade during the second quarter worth approximately $179,608,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of NextDecade in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $14,415,000. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of NextDecade by 12.4% in the 1st quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,216,592 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,959,000 after purchasing an additional 574,080 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of NextDecade during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,613,000. Finally, Man Group plc bought a new position in shares of NextDecade during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,895,000. 66.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

NextDecade News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting NextDecade this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NextDecade reported third-quarter earnings of $0.54 per share, well above the analyst consensus estimate of a $0.71 loss. The earnings swing helped support the stock, although investors may assess how much of the result is recurring versus project-related. NextDecade Provides Third Quarter 2026 Business Update
• Positive Sentiment: Rio Grande LNG is reportedly running about a quarter ahead of schedule, with the company expecting first LNG from Train 1 in the second quarter of 2027. Earlier production would improve visibility into future cash flow and project execution. NextDecade expects first LNG from Train 1 in Q2 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Management also said it is targeting a final investment decision for Train 6 in the second half of 2027. That potential expansion adds to NextDecade’s long-term growth opportunity if permitting, contracting and financing milestones are achieved. Regulatory timeline for Rio Grande LNG trains
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high call-option activity indicated increased speculative interest, with 2,936 calls purchased versus average volume of 2,529. This may amplify near-term volatility but does not change the company’s fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: NextDecade remains an execution- and capital-intensive LNG developer. The stock’s longer-term outlook still depends on completing construction, securing regulatory approvals and funding additional trains; delays or cost increases could reverse the recent optimism.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on NEXT. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of NextDecade in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of NextDecade in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of NextDecade from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Saturday, October 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of NextDecade in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, NextDecade presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $8.10.

NextDecade Stock Performance

NASDAQ:NEXT opened at $7.26 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.93 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.34 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.70. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $6.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $6.92. NextDecade has a twelve month low of $4.75 and a twelve month high of $9.24.

NextDecade (NASDAQ:NEXT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.71) by $1.25. As a group, equities analysts predict that NextDecade will post -2.10 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About NextDecade

NextDecade Corporation is an energy company focused on developing liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and related carbon-management solutions. The company’s principal project is Rio Grande LNG, an LNG export facility located near Brownsville, Texas, on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Rio Grande LNG is designed to receive natural gas, process it into LNG, and export the product by ship to customers in international markets. The project is being developed in multiple phases and is intended to serve energy markets in Europe, Asia and other regions seeking access to U.S.