NXP Semiconductors Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:NXPI)

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Traders acquired 12,162 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 176% compared to the typical volume of 4,403 call options.

NXP Semiconductors Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NXP Semiconductors stock traded up $2.80 on Friday, reaching $234.71. 2,825,131 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,478,321. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $273.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $252.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 1.36. NXP Semiconductors has a 1-year low of $183.00 and a 1-year high of $339.95. The company has a market cap of $59.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.81.

NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The semiconductor provider reported $3.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.52 by $0.09. NXP Semiconductors had a net margin of 22.56% and a return on equity of 27.83%. The firm had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.72 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that NXP Semiconductors will post 13.73 EPS for the current year.

NXP Semiconductors Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 24th were issued a $1.014 dividend. This represents a $4.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 24th. NXP Semiconductors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Mizuho dropped their target price on NXP Semiconductors from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target (down from $305.00) on shares of NXP Semiconductors in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Raymond James Financial raised their price objective on shares of NXP Semiconductors from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of NXP Semiconductors from $300.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of NXP Semiconductors in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $305.43.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Andrew Micallef sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $315.57, for a total transaction of $315,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,942 shares in the company, valued at $2,821,826.94. This trade represents a 10.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Christopher L. Jensen sold 1,746 shares of NXP Semiconductors stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $316.53, for a total value of $552,661.38. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,643 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,153,118.79. The trade was a 32.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NXP Semiconductors

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in NXP Semiconductors in the third quarter valued at $26,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of NXP Semiconductors during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of NXP Semiconductors during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Fiduciary Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of NXP Semiconductors in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of NXP Semiconductors in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. 90.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NXP Semiconductors Company Profile

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, that designs and supplies mixed-signal and standard product solutions for a broad range of end markets. The company focuses on enabling secure connections and infrastructure for embedded applications, developing technologies used across automotive, industrial and Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, and communication infrastructure segments. NXP’s offerings target customers that require reliable, secure, and high-performance semiconductor components for connected devices and systems.

Product lines include microcontrollers and application processors, secure elements and authentication technologies, RF and high-power analog components, connectivity solutions, and vehicle networking and infotainment systems.