iShares Gold Trust Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSEARCA:IAU)

iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Monday. Traders purchased 4,908 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 65% compared to the average volume of 2,978 call options.

iShares Gold Trust Stock Up 1.4 %

NYSEARCA:IAU traded up $0.83 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $58.96. 9,351,818 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,149,080. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -34.13 and a beta of 0.20. iShares Gold Trust has a 1-year low of $42.15 and a 1-year high of $58.99. The company has a 50-day moving average of $54.75 and a 200 day moving average of $51.75.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 81.0% during the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,351 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $514,000 after purchasing an additional 4,632 shares in the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 6.0% in the third quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 34,573 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $1,718,000 after purchasing an additional 1,943 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 70.7% during the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 22,861 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock worth $1,136,000 after purchasing an additional 9,468 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $215,000. Finally, Kitching Partners LLC grew its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 20.7% in the third quarter. Kitching Partners LLC now owns 89,331 shares of the exchange traded fund’s stock valued at $4,440,000 after acquiring an additional 15,341 shares during the period. 59.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About iShares Gold Trust

iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trust’s custodian on behalf of the Trust.