Guidewire Software Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:GWRE)

Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE) saw unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 1,297 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 1,563% compared to the typical volume of 78 call options.

Guidewire Software Stock Up 2.7 %

Shares of Guidewire Software stock opened at $196.55 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $196.62 and its 200 day moving average is $186.78. Guidewire Software has a one year low of $107.00 and a one year high of $219.59. The firm has a market cap of $16.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 545.96, a PEG ratio of 37.21 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 2.66 and a quick ratio of 2.66.

Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The technology company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.44). The firm had revenue of $289.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $285.74 million. Guidewire Software had a net margin of 2.91% and a return on equity of 2.38%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Guidewire Software will post 0.52 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Guidewire Software

In other news, CEO Michael George Rosenbaum sold 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.78, for a total transaction of $244,692.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 280,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,996,077.40. This represents a 0.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider James Winston King sold 270 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.78, for a total value of $47,190.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,664 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,981,153.92. This trade represents a 0.59 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 35,174 shares of company stock worth $6,746,147 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Guidewire Software

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Guidewire Software by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 44,185 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $7,449,000 after purchasing an additional 1,282 shares in the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC bought a new stake in shares of Guidewire Software during the fourth quarter worth about $210,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Guidewire Software in the 4th quarter worth about $11,827,000. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its position in Guidewire Software by 31.6% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,455 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $245,000 after acquiring an additional 349 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parr Mcknight Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in Guidewire Software during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,172,000.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GWRE has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Guidewire Software in a report on Friday, March 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Guidewire Software from $210.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Guidewire Software from $228.00 to $231.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Guidewire Software from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 6th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Guidewire Software in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $206.08.

About Guidewire Software

Guidewire Software, Inc provides a platform for property and casualty (P&C) insurers worldwide. The company offers Guidewire InsuranceSuite Cloud, such as PolicyCenter Cloud, BillingCenter Cloud, and ClaimCenter Cloud applications. It also provides Guidewire InsuranceNow, a cloud-based platform that offers policy, billing, and claims management functionality to insurers; and Guidewire InsuranceSuite for Self-Managed.