Traders Buy Large Volume of Put Options on iShares Biotechnology ETF (NASDAQ:IBB)

iShares Biotechnology ETF (NASDAQ:IBB) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors purchased 72,196 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 1,389% compared to the typical volume of 4,847 put options.

iShares Biotechnology ETF Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:IBB opened at $134.24 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $135.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $140.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.52 and a beta of 0.84. iShares Biotechnology ETF has a 12-month low of $123.60 and a 12-month high of $150.57.

iShares Biotechnology ETF Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 17th were paid a dividend of $0.0624 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 17th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On iShares Biotechnology ETF

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC boosted its stake in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC now owns 372 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Ally Invest Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Ally Invest Advisors Inc. now owns 1,515 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $200,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,990 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 2,746 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $363,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its stake in shares of iShares Biotechnology ETF by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 5,654 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $748,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.45% of the company’s stock.

About iShares Biotechnology ETF

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (the Index). The Index contains securities of NASDAQ listed companies that are classified according to the Industry Classification Benchmark as either biotechnology or pharmaceuticals, which also meet other eligibility criteria determined by NASDAQ.