Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $390.00 price objective on shares of Centrus Energy in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Centrus Energy from $275.00 to $245.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Centrus Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $357.00 price objective on shares of Centrus Energy in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $245.00 target price on shares of Centrus Energy in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Centrus Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.33.

Centrus Energy Stock Down 11.3%

Centrus Energy stock opened at $286.32 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.51 and a beta of 1.24. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $267.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $258.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.23, a current ratio of 3.46 and a quick ratio of 2.79. Centrus Energy has a fifty-two week low of $49.40 and a fifty-two week high of $464.25.

Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.17). Centrus Energy had a net margin of 25.04% and a return on equity of 37.14%. Centrus Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 29.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.30) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Centrus Energy will post 2.63 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Centrus Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Centrus Energy by 483.8% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 247,352 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,310,000 after purchasing an additional 204,983 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in Centrus Energy by 25.9% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 780,986 shares of the company’s stock worth $242,161,000 after buying an additional 160,482 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Centrus Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $19,142,000. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new position in shares of Centrus Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $16,324,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Centrus Energy by 193.0% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 134,382 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,616,000 after acquiring an additional 88,513 shares in the last quarter. 49.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Centrus Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Centrus Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major DOE task order: Centrus won a roughly $900 million U.S. Energy Department task order to expand domestic uranium enrichment capacity in Ohio — a direct revenue and backlog catalyst that underpins the company’s growth story and was the primary bullish catalyst. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and momentum recognition: Zacks upgraded Centrus from “Hold” to “Strong Buy” and added LEU to its Rank #1 momentum lists, reinforcing positive sentiment among momentum-focused investors. http://www.zacks.com/
• Positive Sentiment: Market recognition and coverage: Several outlets highlighted Centrus as a bullish energy name (e.g., Yahoo’s “Bull of the Day” and coverage noting the recent surge after the DOE award), which helped drive recent inflows and price appreciation. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader DOE strategy story: Coverage on the Energy Department’s larger $2.7B push into the reactor fuel supply chain frames Centrus’ award as part of a government-backed strategic program — positive for the sector but dependent on multi-year execution and funding. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst notes: Some publications list Centrus among bullish energy picks while others present neutral takes — signaling that sentiment is uneven among professional analysts. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and sell analysis: Attracting momentum buyers has pushed LEU to elevated valuation metrics (high P/E versus history); some analysts argue the stock is a “valuation-based sell,” which likely triggered profit-taking after the sharp run-up. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Operational / fundamental caution: Recent quarterly results (Nov quarter) included an EPS miss vs. consensus and the company still carries leverage; those fundamentals add friction to a sustained rerating and make the stock sensitive to profit-taking and short-term negative headlines. (Company filings/earnings)

About Centrus Energy

Centrus Energy Corp is a U.S.-based supplier of nuclear fuel and enrichment services, specializing in the production of low-enriched uranium (LEU) for commercial power reactors and highly enriched uranium for naval propulsion. Through its Centrus Global subsidiary, the company provides technical support, fuel fabrication services and recycled uranium products to utilities operating light-water reactors. Centrus also develops advanced centrifuge technologies aimed at improving enrichment efficiency and reducing the cost of nuclear fuel.

Originally founded as the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) in 1998 following a spin-out from the U.S.