Boston Trust Walden Corp Invests $21.92 Million in PriceSmart, Inc. $PSMT

Boston Trust Walden Corp bought a new position in PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 180,831 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,915,000. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned 0.59% of PriceSmart at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PSMT. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in PriceSmart by 560.0% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 297 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 252 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in PriceSmart during the second quarter worth $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in PriceSmart by 52.5% during the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of PriceSmart in the 1st quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in PriceSmart by 57.2% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 492 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 80.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

PriceSmart Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of PriceSmart stock opened at $123.81 on Tuesday. PriceSmart, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $81.25 and a fifty-two week high of $131.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 1.34. The company has a market cap of $3.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.69 and a beta of 0.76. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $122.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $115.15.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. PriceSmart had a net margin of 2.81% and a return on equity of 12.34%. PriceSmart’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.94 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that PriceSmart, Inc. will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of PriceSmart from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of PriceSmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other PriceSmart news, EVP Paul Kovaleski sold 1,305 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.55, for a total transaction of $149,487.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 43,109 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,938,135.95. This trade represents a 2.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Francisco Velasco sold 550 shares of PriceSmart stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.82, for a total transaction of $67,551.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 80,548 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,892,905.36. This trade represents a 0.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,706 shares of company stock valued at $1,467,980. Corporate insiders own 17.00% of the company’s stock.

About PriceSmart

PriceSmart, Inc (NASDAQ: PSMT) is a U.S.-based retailer specializing in membership warehouse clubs. Founded in 1993, the company operates under a business model that offers bulk quantities of goods at discounted prices to individuals and businesses that purchase annual memberships. PriceSmart’s value proposition centers on low-cost operations, high-volume purchasing, and a no-frills shopping environment designed to pass savings directly to its members.

The company’s product assortment covers a broad range of merchandise categories, including groceries and fresh produce, household essentials, electronics, appliances, office supplies, furniture, and health and beauty items.