Significant Thursday Options Trading: AA, PL, KGS
Planet Labs Options Trading: Planet Labs PBC (PL) experienced a significant options trading volume of 92,123 contracts, equating to about 9.2 million underlying shares, which is 123.1% of its average daily trading volume. Notably, the $15 strike call option expiring on January 16, 2026, saw 8,615 contracts traded.
Kodiak Gas Services Options Trading: Kodiak Gas Services Inc (KGS) recorded an options trading volume of 25,290 contracts, representing approximately 2.5 million underlying shares, or 120.5% of its average daily trading volume. The $32.50 strike put option expiring on January 16, 2026, had 8,002 contracts traded.
Options Trading Insights: The article provides insights into the trading activities of PL and KGS options, highlighting specific strike prices and expiration dates that are attracting significant interest from traders.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Nasdaq, Inc.
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- Acquisition Deal Size: Kodiak Gas Services announced its agreement to acquire Distributed Power Solutions LLC for approximately $675 million, which includes $575 million in cash and the issuance of over 2.4 million common shares valued at around $100 million, demonstrating the company's commitment to expanding its energy infrastructure footprint.
- Asset Portfolio Expansion: With a fleet of 384 MW of state-of-the-art distributed power generation assets driven by Caterpillar reciprocating engines and turbines, this acquisition allows Kodiak Gas to broaden its customer base, particularly in the rapidly growing digital infrastructure sector.
- Strategic Significance: Kodiak Gas President and CEO Mickey McKee stated that distributed power is a natural extension of their large horsepower operations skillset, significantly enhancing their ability to deliver critical energy infrastructure solutions to oil and gas customers while opening new avenues for growth.
- Market Outlook: This acquisition not only strengthens Kodiak Gas's competitive position but is also expected to drive long-term growth potential in the digital infrastructure space by integrating DPS's technology and customer resources.
- Dividend Declaration: Kodiak Gas Services has announced a cash dividend of $0.49 per share to be paid on February 20, 2026, to shareholders of record as of February 13, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to shareholder returns.
- Subsidiary Distribution: Kodiak Services will also distribute $0.49 per unit to unitholders of record on February 13, 2026, which enhances the company's attractiveness in the market.
- Earnings Release Schedule: The company plans to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results on February 25, 2026, which is expected to positively impact investor confidence.
- Conference Call Arrangement: Kodiak will hold an earnings conference call on February 26, 2026, providing real-time interaction opportunities that enhance transparency and foster communication with investors.
- Quarterly Dividend Announcement: Kodiak Gas Services declared a quarterly dividend of $0.49 per share, consistent with previous distributions, indicating the company's stable cash flow and profitability.
- Forward Yield: The declared dividend offers a forward yield of 4.84%, providing investors with a relatively attractive return and enhancing the stock's investment appeal in the market.
- Payment Schedule: The dividend is set to be paid on February 20, with a record date of February 13 and an ex-dividend date also on February 13, ensuring shareholders receive their earnings promptly.
- Market Reaction Anticipation: Following the dividend announcement, market interest in Kodiak Gas Services may increase, prompting investors to reassess the stock's value, particularly in the current market environment.
- Rating Upgrade: Barclays upgraded Kodiak Gas Services from Equal Weight to Overweight, raising the price target from $35 to $42, reflecting an optimistic outlook on the company's future growth prospects.
- Strong Execution: Analysts noted Kodiak's excellent asset composition and geographical reach, along with industry-leading mechanical uptime and fleet utilization, positioning it favorably in the compression services market.
- Supply-Demand Tightness: With lead times for new compression equipment extending to over 80 weeks, the market faces tight supply-demand dynamics, which analysts believe will provide Kodiak's compression services with steady demand and pricing power, ensuring its competitiveness.
- Risk Mitigation: The full exit of EQT in December has removed risks associated with sponsor overhang, leading to expectations of greater investor receptivity for Kodiak in 2026, with stock performance aligning more closely with its fundamental profile.
- Pessimistic Earnings Outlook: Mid-to-low cap energy stocks like Advantage Energy and Forum Energy Technologies have received an 'F' grade for EPS revisions, indicating significant downward adjustments by analysts, reflecting a lack of market confidence in these companies.
- Wide Industry Distribution: These stocks span various subsectors including oil and gas exploration, equipment services, storage and transportation, and refining and marketing, suggesting that the entire energy sector is facing widespread challenges in the current economic environment, which may impact overall investor confidence.
- Consistent Analyst Ratings: All listed companies have been rated at the lowest level, demonstrating analysts' general concerns about their future profitability, which could lead to increased risk aversion among investors and negatively affect market performance.
- Potential Market Reaction: As the earnings season kicks off, investors may remain cautious regarding these stocks, especially against the backdrop of widespread EPS downgrades by analysts, potentially leading to further pressure on their stock prices.

- Operating Partner Appointments: Marauder Capital has appointed Bryan Hoffman and Pedro Buhigas as Operating Partners, marking a significant milestone in the firm's ongoing evolution and operational capabilities, aimed at enhancing support for management teams through broader operational perspectives.
- Bryan Hoffman's Background: Hoffman brings decades of leadership experience in utility and infrastructure businesses, focusing on electrification and critical infrastructure, having founded KVP Energy Services and successfully exited, which is expected to provide valuable industry insights to Marauder.
- Pedro Buhigas' Contribution: Buhigas possesses deep operational and technological expertise across energy and industrial platforms, currently serving as CIO of Kodiak Gas Services, and is expected to enhance Marauder's operational efficiency through the application of advanced analytics and AI.
- Strategic Development Goals: Marauder's Operating Partner model is designed to provide experienced operational perspectives alongside investment teams and portfolio company leadership, ensuring sustainable value creation and high-quality business building as the firm continues to expand.









