Howmet Aerospace Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:HWM)

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) saw some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders bought 10,794 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 203% compared to the typical volume of 3,558 put options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Howmet Aerospace

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. West Paces Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Howmet Aerospace during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 55.1% during the second quarter. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Markowski Investments purchased a new position in Howmet Aerospace in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC raised its holdings in Howmet Aerospace by 328.1% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 137 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.46% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Howmet Aerospace in a report on Wednesday, September 30th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Howmet Aerospace in a report on Monday, September 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $350.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Howmet Aerospace from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings raised Howmet Aerospace from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $299.00 to $326.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $313.26.

Howmet Aerospace Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE:HWM traded down $0.52 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $222.23. 178,333 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,707,142. The company has a market cap of $88.91 billion, a PE ratio of 47.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.82 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Howmet Aerospace has a one year low of $183.83 and a one year high of $310.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $254.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $257.68.

Howmet Aerospace (NYSE:HWM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.09. Howmet Aerospace had a net margin of 20.52% and a return on equity of 33.91%. The firm had revenue of $2.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.43 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.91 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 24.1% on a year-over-year basis. Howmet Aerospace has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.340-1.360 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.230-5.310 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Howmet Aerospace will post 5.33 EPS for the current year.

Howmet Aerospace Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 7th were issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. This is a positive change from Howmet Aerospace’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.12. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. Howmet Aerospace’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.07%.

About Howmet Aerospace

Howmet Aerospace Inc (NYSE:HWM) is an aerospace and industrial products company that develops and manufactures advanced engineered components and systems. Its products are used primarily in commercial and defense aircraft, aircraft engines, and other transportation and industrial applications.

The company’s principal businesses include engine products, fastening systems, engineered structures, and forged wheels. Its offerings include forged and cast engine components, airfoils, titanium and nickel-based parts, aerospace structural components, specialized fasteners, and forged aluminum wheels for commercial transportation.