Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Chevron (NYSE:CVX)

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Monday. Traders purchased 147,579 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 385% compared to the average volume of 30,433 call options.

Chevron Price Performance

Shares of CVX traded up $9.04 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $164.94. 22,405,856 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,198,758. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. Chevron has a 52-week low of $132.04 and a 52-week high of $168.96. The company has a market cap of $332.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.19, a PEG ratio of 9.76 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $151.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $153.09.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.14. Chevron had a net margin of 6.57% and a return on equity of 8.74%. The business had revenue of $48.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $46.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Chevron will post 10.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chevron Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 18th were issued a $1.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 18th. This represents a $6.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. Chevron’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.20%.

Key Headlines Impacting Chevron

Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week:

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. capture/ousting of Venezuelan leader and President Trump’s comments about reviving Venezuela’s oil sector sparked investor hopes that American firms could gain access to the country’s massive reserves, lifting U.S. oil majors. Chevron, US refiners’ shares surge after Trump’s move toward Venezuela oil (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Chevron is one of the only U.S. majors with an operational footprint in Venezuela under a special Treasury license (ongoing exports ~120k–150k bpd historically), so it stands to gain more immediately than peers if access expands. Chevron (CVX) Stock: Premarket Surge of 8% After Venezuela Military Operation (Blockonomi)
• Positive Sentiment: Buy-side commentary and bullish write-ups are pushing the momentum — some stock-pickers are explicitly recommending Chevron as a play on a “Venezuela pivot.” Top 2 Energy Bets On The Venezuela Pivot: Buy Chevron And Targa Resources (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi lowered its price target for CVX from $185 to $179 but kept a “buy” rating — a modest analyst tweak that still implies upside but signals some caution. Benzinga (Citigroup price target note)
• Neutral Sentiment: Fund-raising and investor activity around Venezuelan projects (e.g., former Chevron executives raising capital) indicate interest but also underscore that new projects will require large investment and complex approvals. Ex-Chevron executive seeks $2bn for Venezuelan oil projects (FT)
• Negative Sentiment: Operational, legal and sanction risks remain high — U.S. policy, safety for staff/assets and the mechanics of reopening Venezuelan production are uncertain. Venezuela currently contributes under 10% of Chevron’s volumes, so near-term earnings impact is limited. Chevron Stock Up 6%. Why Venezuelan Oil May Not Make $CVX A Buy (Forbes)

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director John B. Hess sold 275,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.75, for a total value of $41,456,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,128,045 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $170,052,783.75. This trade represents a 19.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chevron

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Chevron by 8.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 223,844 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,436,000 after acquiring an additional 17,280 shares during the last quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Chevron by 14.3% in the first quarter. Raab & Moskowitz Asset Management LLC now owns 18,197 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $3,044,000 after purchasing an additional 2,272 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Chevron by 6.4% during the first quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 102,556 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $17,157,000 after buying an additional 6,200 shares during the last quarter. Talon Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chevron by 22.2% during the first quarter. Talon Private Wealth LLC now owns 1,785 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $299,000 after buying an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coordinated Financial Services Inc. CO acquired a new position in shares of Chevron during the first quarter worth approximately $398,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.42% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CVX has been the topic of several research reports. HSBC set a $169.00 price objective on shares of Chevron and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Bank of America lowered their price target on Chevron from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Hsbc Global Res raised Chevron from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Chevron from $171.00 to $169.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Chevron in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $166.90.

Chevron Company Profile

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevron’s core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide.

Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco.