Bristol Myers Squibb Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:BMY)

Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors bought 44,620 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 77% compared to the typical daily volume of 25,257 put options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BMY has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from $67.00 to $66.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, May 1st. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $72.00 price target on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings cut Bristol Myers Squibb from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $61.25.

Bristol Myers Squibb Stock Performance

NYSE BMY traded up $1.88 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $64.98. The company had a trading volume of 18,017,888 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,268,181. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $58.22. Bristol Myers Squibb has a fifty-two week low of $42.52 and a fifty-two week high of $65.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10. The stock has a market cap of $132.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.25, a P/E/G ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.23.

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.60 by $0.44. Bristol Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.01% and a return on equity of 64.87%. The business had revenue of $12.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.74 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.46 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. Bristol Myers Squibb has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.750-7.000 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Bristol Myers Squibb will post 6.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bristol Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 2nd will be given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 2nd. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Bristol Myers Squibb’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 70.79%.

Institutional Trading of Bristol Myers Squibb

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BMY. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in Bristol Myers Squibb during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 73.5% during the 4th quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 477 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares during the period. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Bayban bought a new stake in Bristol Myers Squibb in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, EQ Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Bristol Myers Squibb in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. 76.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Bristol Myers Squibb

Here are the key news stories impacting Bristol Myers Squibb this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. BMY reported adjusted earnings of $2.04 per share, versus the $1.60 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 5.7% year over year to $12.97 billion, well above analysts’ $11.74 billion forecast. Bristol Myers raises 2026 forecast as Eliquis, newer medicines power results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 outlook. BMY now expects full-year earnings of $6.75–$7.00 per share and revenue of $49 billion–$50 billion, above consensus forecasts of approximately $6.31 EPS and $47.3 billion in revenue. Bristol Myers Squibb Raises 2026 Revenue Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Growth products are gaining traction. Stronger demand for Eliquis, Camzyos and Reblozyl, along with momentum from Opdivo Qvantig, Breyanzi and Iza-bren, is improving confidence that newer products can support growth as older drugs face patent-related pressure. Bristol Myers Squibb raises 2026 forecast after Q2 earnings beat
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation remains attractive to some analysts. A bullish investment view highlighted BMY’s low forward valuation and roughly 4% dividend yield, while Piper Sandler maintained a Buy rating. Bristol Myers Squibb: Upgrading To Buy on Positive Q2 Earnings, Long-Term Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains mixed. William Blair kept a Hold rating, citing strong quarterly performance and better Eliquis trends but continued legacy-product declines and pipeline delays. Bristol Myers Squibb: Strong Quarter and Higher Eliquis Growth Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual put-option activity signals hedging or bearish positioning. Investors traded 44,620 put options, 77% above typical volume, though options activity alone does not establish the direction of the stock.

Bristol Myers Squibb Company Profile

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on discovering, developing and delivering medicines for serious diseases. The company’s core activities include research and development, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of prescription pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas. BMS concentrates on advancing therapies in oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and specialty areas through both small molecules and biologics.

BMS’s marketed portfolio and late‑stage pipeline reflect a strong emphasis on cancer and immune‑mediated conditions.