Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Boston Scientific Call Options (NYSE:BSX)

Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX) saw unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors purchased 16,833 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 78% compared to the average volume of 9,470 call options.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Daniel J. Brennan sold 15,087 shares of Boston Scientific stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.07, for a total value of $1,585,191.09. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 241,451 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,369,256.57. The trade was a 5.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Arthur C. Butcher sold 17,313 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.80, for a total transaction of $1,762,463.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,502 shares in the company, valued at approximately $560,103.60. This represents a 75.88 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 133,183 shares of company stock valued at $13,948,476. Insiders own 0.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BSX. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in Boston Scientific by 28.2% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 109,978 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $9,241,000 after acquiring an additional 24,180 shares during the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Boston Scientific by 26.3% in the third quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,323 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $447,000 after purchasing an additional 1,108 shares during the period. Quarry LP lifted its position in shares of Boston Scientific by 81.4% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 780 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Boston Scientific during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $9,041,000. Finally, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC bought a new stake in Boston Scientific during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,635,000. 89.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Boston Scientific Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:BSX traded up $0.45 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $90.15. 4,089,823 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,181,892. The company has a market capitalization of $133.34 billion, a PE ratio of 72.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.73. Boston Scientific has a 52-week low of $66.80 and a 52-week high of $107.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.08. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $101.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $93.71.

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.05. Boston Scientific had a net margin of 11.07% and a return on equity of 17.80%. As a group, research analysts predict that Boston Scientific will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on BSX shares. Needham & Company LLC restated a “hold” rating on shares of Boston Scientific in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Boston Scientific from $105.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Boston Scientific from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Boston Scientific from $100.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $108.91.

Boston Scientific Company Profile

Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through two segments, MedSurg and Cardiovascular. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions, such as resolution clips, biliary stent systems, stents and electrocautery enhanced delivery systems, direct visualization systems, digital catheters, and single-use duodenoscopes; devices to treat urological conditions, including ureteral stents, catheters, baskets, guidewires, sheaths, balloons, single-use digital flexible ureteroscopes, holmium laser systems, artificial urinary sphincter, laser system, fiber, and hydrogel systems; and devices to treat neurological movement disorders and manage chronic pain, such as spinal cord stimulator system, proprietary programming software, radiofrequency generator, indirect decompression systems, practice optimization tools, and deep brain stimulation system.