Harmony Gold Mining Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:HMY)

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE:HMY) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Traders acquired 4,248 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 177% compared to the average volume of 1,531 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Harmony Gold Mining

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HMY. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Harmony Gold Mining during the 3rd quarter worth about $241,000. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in shares of Harmony Gold Mining by 4.0% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 228,288 shares of the mining company’s stock worth $2,466,000 after acquiring an additional 8,862 shares during the period. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in Harmony Gold Mining by 522.6% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 38,620 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $393,000 after acquiring an additional 32,417 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP increased its position in Harmony Gold Mining by 34.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 403,178 shares of the mining company’s stock valued at $4,100,000 after purchasing an additional 103,608 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC bought a new position in Harmony Gold Mining during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $528,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.79% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Harmony Gold Mining from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th.

Harmony Gold Mining Stock Performance

Harmony Gold Mining stock opened at $14.08 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $11.54 and a 200-day moving average of $10.29. The company has a market capitalization of $8.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.85. Harmony Gold Mining has a 1 year low of $7.97 and a 1 year high of $14.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

Harmony Gold Mining Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.1245 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.9%. This is an increase from Harmony Gold Mining’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.04. Harmony Gold Mining’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.24%.

Harmony Gold Mining Company Profile

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of gold. The company explores for uranium, silver, copper, and molybdenum deposits. It has eight underground operations in the Witwatersrand Basin; an open-pit mine on the Kraaipan Greenstone Belt; and various surface source operations in South Africa.