892,450 Shares in GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF) Acquired by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 892,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,954,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of GrafTech International by 5.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,925,413 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,163,000 after purchasing an additional 1,237,154 shares during the last quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC raised its holdings in GrafTech International by 12.9% in the 3rd quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 22,971,588 shares of the company’s stock valued at $87,981,000 after acquiring an additional 2,618,477 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in GrafTech International by 5.6% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 13,494,013 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,010,000 after acquiring an additional 716,235 shares during the last quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LP raised its holdings in GrafTech International by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LP now owns 9,342,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,780,000 after acquiring an additional 85,681 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in GrafTech International in the 4th quarter valued at $39,465,000. 92.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

GrafTech International Stock Up 2.7 %

Shares of NYSE EAF opened at $1.52 on Friday. GrafTech International Ltd. has a 52-week low of $1.18 and a 52-week high of $5.32. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1.53 and a 200-day moving average of $2.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $390.88 million, a PE ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.81, a current ratio of 3.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.90.

GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.14) by ($0.13). GrafTech International had a negative net margin of 41.14% and a negative return on equity of 39.57%. The company had revenue of $137.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $141.20 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.17 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 44.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that GrafTech International Ltd. will post -0.49 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other GrafTech International news, major shareholder Colonial House Capital Ltd purchased 2,303,599 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 16th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $1.78 per share, with a total value of $4,100,406.22. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 29,535,575 shares in the company, valued at $52,573,323.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EAF has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup cut their price target on GrafTech International from $4.00 to $2.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. UBS Group initiated coverage on GrafTech International in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $2.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on GrafTech International from $3.00 to $2.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on GrafTech International from $2.00 to $1.50 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, GrafTech International currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1.88.

About GrafTech International

GrafTech International Ltd. research, develops, manufactures, and sells graphite and carbon-based solutions worldwide. The company offers graphite electrodes to produce electric arc furnace steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals; and petroleum needle coke, a crystalline form of carbon used in the production of graphite electrodes and synthetic graphite.