GeoPark (NYSE:GPRK) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume

Shares of GeoPark Limited (NYSE:GPRK) saw an uptick in trading volume on Monday . 104,764 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the previous session’s volume of 217,234 shares.The stock last traded at $9.63 and had previously closed at $9.20.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on GeoPark in a report on Thursday, September 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $14.50 target price on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of GeoPark in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $15.50 price target on shares of GeoPark in a report on Monday, August 14th.

GeoPark Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $9.94 and a 200 day moving average of $9.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $557.78 million, a P/E ratio of 3.87 and a beta of 1.45.

GeoPark Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 11th. Investors of record on Monday, November 27th will be issued a $0.134 dividend. This represents a $0.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.54%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 24th. This is a boost from GeoPark’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. GeoPark’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.27%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On GeoPark

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in GPRK. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in GeoPark by 3.4% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,123,949 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $30,958,000 after acquiring an additional 102,586 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of GeoPark by 58,291.9% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,475,232 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $25,445,000 after purchasing an additional 2,470,993 shares during the last quarter. Sagil Capital LLP raised its holdings in shares of GeoPark by 344.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sagil Capital LLP now owns 1,791,222 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $18,414,000 after purchasing an additional 1,388,418 shares in the last quarter. INCA Investments LLC boosted its holdings in GeoPark by 15.0% during the first quarter. INCA Investments LLC now owns 1,211,586 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $18,101,000 after buying an additional 157,586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Carmignac Gestion grew its position in GeoPark by 13.6% in the first quarter. Carmignac Gestion now owns 770,693 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $8,755,000 after buying an additional 92,500 shares during the last quarter. 52.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

GeoPark Company Profile

GeoPark Limited engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas reserves in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador. GeoPark Limited has a strategic partnership with ONGC Videsh to jointly acquire, invest in, and create value from upstream oil and gas projects across Latin America.