Huntington Bancshares Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:HBAN)

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN) was the target of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Stock investors purchased 97,130 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 2,098% compared to the average daily volume of 4,420 call options.

Trending Headlines about Huntington Bancshares

Here are the key news stories impacting Huntington Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies raised its price target to $22 (from $20) and keeps a “buy” rating — implying ~24.5% upside from the current price; this is the most bullish analyst action and likely the biggest near-term driver of demand. Jefferies adjusts price target to $22 TickerReport: Jefferies note
• Positive Sentiment: RBC raised its price target to $20 (from $19) and maintains an “outperform” rating — roughly ~13% upside; another credible bank upgrade supporting the move. Benzinga RBC raises price target to $20 The Fly: RBC note
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens lifted its target to $20 (from $19) and keeps an “equal weight” rating — another upward revision that consolidates analyst optimism around HBAN. Stephens raises price target to $20
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity — ~97,130 calls traded (≈2,098% above average) — suggests aggressive bullish positioning or hedging ahead of catalysts, which can amplify intraday moves. (source: trade data)
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings preview coverage indicates analysts expect a significant double‑digit jump in Q4 earnings; a strong print would validate upgrades and could push the stock higher. Barchart earnings preview
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat highlighted HBAN as a sub-$20 dividend stock (yield ~3.5%) with a consensus price target near $19.6, reinforcing interest from income-minded investors. MarketBeat dividend feature
• Neutral Sentiment: Head‑to‑head survey with United Bancorp was published; useful for peer comparisons but unlikely to be a major catalyst. American Banking News survey
• Neutral Sentiment: Capstone Partners’ middle‑market survey provides macro/context on business sentiment — relevant to regional banking exposure but not a direct HBAN-specific driver. PR Newswire: Capstone survey

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on HBAN. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $21.00 price target on shares of Huntington Bancshares in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Huntington Bancshares from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Huntington Bancshares from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on Huntington Bancshares from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Huntington Bancshares from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $19.92.

Huntington Bancshares Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:HBAN opened at $17.69 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $16.20 and its 200 day moving average is $16.62. The stock has a market cap of $25.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.96. Huntington Bancshares has a 52-week low of $11.91 and a 52-week high of $18.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:HBAN) last issued its earnings results on Monday, December 1st. The bank reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter. Huntington Bancshares had a return on equity of 12.14% and a net margin of 18.06%.The business had revenue of $580.00 million during the quarter. Sell-side analysts predict that Huntington Bancshares will post 1.39 EPS for the current year.

Huntington Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.155 per share. This represents a $0.62 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 18th. Huntington Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Marcy C. Hingst sold 12,832 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $230,976.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 239,473 shares in the company, valued at $4,310,514. The trade was a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Helga Houston sold 64,587 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.38, for a total value of $993,348.06. Following the sale, the insider owned 534,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,222,763.20. This represents a 10.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 87,863 shares of company stock valued at $1,396,634 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.89% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Huntington Bancshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new position in Huntington Bancshares in the third quarter worth approximately $4,930,000. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd raised its position in shares of Huntington Bancshares by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 250,775 shares of the bank’s stock worth $4,331,000 after acquiring an additional 8,360 shares in the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment bought a new position in shares of Huntington Bancshares in the 3rd quarter worth $268,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Huntington Bancshares by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 354,431 shares of the bank’s stock worth $6,121,000 after purchasing an additional 3,448 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in Huntington Bancshares during the third quarter valued at about $3,487,000. 80.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Huntington Bancshares

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ: HBAN) is a bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that provides a broad range of banking and financial services through its principal subsidiary, Huntington National Bank. The company’s operations are centered on retail and commercial banking, and it serves individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, and institutional customers.

Huntington’s product offerings include traditional deposit and lending products, consumer and commercial loans, mortgage origination and servicing, auto financing, and business banking solutions.