BMO Capital Markets Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) Stock

GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) had its target price lifted by equities research analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $1.00 to $1.50 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “market perform” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets’ price target indicates a potential upside of 2.39% from the stock’s current price.

Separately, UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of GrafTech International from $1.50 to $0.80 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, GrafTech International currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $1.63.

GrafTech International Price Performance

Shares of EAF stock opened at $1.47 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1.15 and a 200-day moving average of $1.08. The company has a market cap of $378.19 million, a P/E ratio of -1.79 and a beta of 1.51. GrafTech International has a one year low of $0.52 and a one year high of $2.53.

GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported ($0.16) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.12) by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $131.84 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $130.44 million. As a group, research analysts expect that GrafTech International will post -0.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at GrafTech International

In related news, Director Jean-Marc Germain acquired 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $0.78 per share, for a total transaction of $39,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 90,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $70,200. This represents a 125.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of GrafTech International

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in GrafTech International by 25.2% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 613,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,062,000 after buying an additional 123,574 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of GrafTech International in the first quarter worth about $87,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in shares of GrafTech International by 11.7% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 181,074 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after purchasing an additional 18,944 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of GrafTech International by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 408,430 shares of the company’s stock worth $706,000 after purchasing an additional 38,482 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP purchased a new position in shares of GrafTech International in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.83% of the company’s stock.

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.