iShares Semiconductor ETF Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:SOXX)

iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Investors purchased 51,897 put options on the company. This is an increase of 67% compared to the typical volume of 31,088 put options.

iShares Semiconductor ETF Trading Down 7.2%

Shares of SOXX traded down $46.94 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $608.07. 6,922,234 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,017,179. iShares Semiconductor ETF has a 52-week low of $230.46 and a 52-week high of $655.95. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $517.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $398.36. The company has a market cap of $39.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.84 and a beta of 1.80.

iShares Semiconductor ETF Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.2827 per share. This is a boost from iShares Semiconductor ETF’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $1.13 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th.

Institutional Trading of iShares Semiconductor ETF

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SOXX. Greenberg Financial Group bought a new stake in iShares Semiconductor ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $843,000. Sava Penzisko Drushtvo A.D. Skopje bought a new position in shares of iShares Semiconductor ETF during the 3rd quarter worth $12,275,000. Moulton Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of iShares Semiconductor ETF during the fourth quarter valued at $5,773,000. Optiver Holding B.V. increased its stake in shares of iShares Semiconductor ETF by 2,968.6% during the third quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 20,222 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $5,483,000 after buying an additional 19,563 shares during the period. Finally, Eagle Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Semiconductor ETF in the fourth quarter valued at about $526,000.

About iShares Semiconductor ETF

iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF, formerly iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the United States-listed semiconductor stocks as represented by the PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index (the Index). The Index is an equity benchmark for the United States-listed semiconductor stocks. The Index includes companies primarily involved in the design, distribution, manufacture and sale of semiconductors.