Stocks

Surge in Call Options for Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD)

Published March 8, 2025

Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD – Get Free Report) (TSE:ABX) experienced notable activity in its options trading on Thursday, with traders purchasing a total of 73,722 call options. This figure represents a significant increase of 48% compared to the average volume of 49,851 call options typically traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

In recent days, various research firms have provided updates regarding Barrick Gold's outlook. Notably, Berenberg Bank revised their price target for Barrick Gold, raising it from $37.00 to $38.00 in a report issued on Tuesday, November 26th. Conversely, Cibc World Mkts downgraded Barrick Gold from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating, detailed in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Furthermore, TD Securities lowered their price target from $24.00 to $23.00 while maintaining a "buy" rating as mentioned in their report dated Thursday, February 13th. Raymond James followed suit by adjusting their price target down from $25.00 to $24.00 and maintaining an "outperform" rating in their report on Friday, February 7th. Additionally, CIBC reduced Barrick Gold's rating from "sector outperform" to "neutral" on Monday, November 25th. Overall, five research analysts have assigned a hold rating to the stock, while seven have given it a buy rating. Current consensus data from MarketBeat indicates that Barrick Gold holds a "Moderate Buy" rating with an average price target of $23.75.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Barrick Gold

Barrick Gold Price Performance

On Friday, shares of Barrick Gold opened at $18.61. The company has a current ratio of 2.89, a quick ratio of 2.15, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. With a market capitalization of $32.13 billion, Barrick Gold displays a PE ratio of 15.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44, and a beta of 0.58. Over the past year, the stock has experienced a low of $15.11 and a high of $21.35. Its fifty-day simple moving average is $16.86, while the two-hundred-day simple moving average stands at $18.16.

Barrick Gold last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th, reporting an EPS of $0.46, aligning with consensus expectations. The company achieved a return on equity of 6.76% and boasted a net margin of 16.59%. Analysts currently forecast Barrick Gold to report an EPS of 1.47 for the year ahead.

Barrick Gold Dividend Announcement

Additionally, Barrick Gold recently announced a quarterly dividend set to be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders recorded as of Friday, February 28th, will receive a dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date is also noted as February 28th. This results in an annualized dividend total of $0.40 and yields a dividend yield of 2.15%. Barrick Gold's dividend payout ratio (DPR) stands at 32.52%.

On another note, the company declared a stock repurchase program on February 12th, allowing for the repurchase of up to $1.00 billion in shares. This initiative permits Barrick Gold to buy back up to 3.2% of its stock through open market transactions, typically a sign that the board believes the stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Barrick Gold

Recently, various hedge funds and institutional investors have altered their holdings in Barrick Gold. Notable transactions include Crowley Wealth Management Inc. acquiring a new stake worth $26,000 in the 4th quarter, followed by Vega Investment Solutions with a new $31,000 purchase. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc., IL invested $37,000, while Ameriflex Group Inc. made a $39,000 investment in Barrick Gold during the same quarter. Additionally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its stake by 619.7%, now owning 3,073 shares valued at $48,000 after acquiring 2,646 additional shares in the last quarter. Currently, hedge funds and institutional investors hold 62.85% of Barrick Gold's stock.

About Barrick Gold