Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on FutureFuel (NYSE:FF)

FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE:FF) saw unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock investors purchased 9,080 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 3,010% compared to the average volume of 292 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in FutureFuel by 226.0% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 9,038 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 6,266 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of FutureFuel by 740.5% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,800 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 8,634 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of FutureFuel by 527.1% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 9,990 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 8,397 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group grew its holdings in shares of FutureFuel by 4,087.0% in the third quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 12,854 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 12,547 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centiva Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of FutureFuel during the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 44.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of FutureFuel in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

FutureFuel Trading Up 6.7%

Shares of NYSE:FF traded up $0.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $4.21. 340,719 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 207,453. The stock has a market cap of $184.53 million, a P/E ratio of -5.32 and a beta of 0.70. FutureFuel has a 12-month low of $3.09 and a 12-month high of $4.91. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $3.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.63.

FutureFuel Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. FutureFuel’s payout ratio is currently -30.38%.

About FutureFuel

FutureFuel Corporation (NYSE: FF) operates as a specialty chemicals and biofuels producer, combining industrial chemistry with renewable energy solutions. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, FutureFuel Chemical Company, it manufactures a diverse portfolio of chemical products that serve fiber and textile applications, agricultural markets, water treatment processes and industrial coatings. In parallel, the company produces biodiesel using vegetable oils and animal fats as feedstocks, supplying both wholesale fuel distributors and commercial users seeking lower-carbon fuel alternatives.

The company’s manufacturing hub is located in Decatur, Arkansas, on a site originally constructed as an ordnance plant during World War II.