OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. New Street Research set a $24.00 target price on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Wall Street Zen raised OUTFRONT Media from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 15th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $23.00 price objective (up previously from $20.00) on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $27.00 target price (up previously from $23.00) on shares of OUTFRONT Media in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded OUTFRONT Media from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $20.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have given a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $24.57.

OUTFRONT Media Trading Down 1.8%

OUTFRONT Media stock opened at $24.39 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $23.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.37. The company has a market capitalization of $4.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.57. OUTFRONT Media has a 52 week low of $12.95 and a 52 week high of $25.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.75.

OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.50 by ($0.21). OUTFRONT Media had a return on equity of 21.56% and a net margin of 6.86%.The business had revenue of $467.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $458.32 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.19 EPS. OUTFRONT Media’s quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that OUTFRONT Media will post 1.59 EPS for the current year.

OUTFRONT Media Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 5th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. OUTFRONT Media’s dividend payout ratio is currently 176.47%.

Insider Activity at OUTFRONT Media

In other news, Director Manuel A. Diaz sold 11,271 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.49, for a total value of $276,026.79. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 47,515 shares in the company, valued at $1,163,642.35. The trade was a 19.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.47% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On OUTFRONT Media

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in OUTFRONT Media during the third quarter worth $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of OUTFRONT Media during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of OUTFRONT Media by 157.6% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,339 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,431 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in OUTFRONT Media by 16.5% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 4,107 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 582 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rossby Financial LCC boosted its holdings in OUTFRONT Media by 42.4% in the 2nd quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 6,953 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $113,000 after buying an additional 2,071 shares during the last quarter.

OUTFRONT Media Company Profile

OUTFRONT Media Inc is a leading out-of-home (OOH) advertising company offering a broad range of billboard, transit and digital display solutions across major urban markets in the United States and Canada. Its portfolio encompasses traditional static billboards, high-resolution digital signage, transit media on buses, trains and taxis, as well as street furniture placements such as bus shelters, kiosks and urban panels. The company partners with brand marketers to deliver high-impact campaigns that engage consumers outside the home environment.

Through an extensive network of assets in key metropolitan areas, OUTFRONT provides advertisers with premium visibility along highways, city streets and transit corridors.