PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) Share Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

PriceSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PSMT) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $125.65 and traded as high as $155.56. PriceSmart shares last traded at $155.22, with a volume of 177,926 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on PSMT shares. Weiss Ratings cut PriceSmart from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of PriceSmart from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

PriceSmart Stock Up 2.6%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.68 and a beta of 0.75. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $139.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $125.65.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.01. PriceSmart had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 2.79%.The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.36 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.21 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that PriceSmart, Inc. will post 5.28 EPS for the current year.

PriceSmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a dividend yield of 89.0%. PriceSmart’s payout ratio is 28.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PriceSmart

In other news, EVP Paul Kovaleski sold 4,255 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.86, for a total transaction of $582,339.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 38,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,317,558.44. This represents a 9.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Beatriz V. Infante sold 1,995 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.87, for a total value of $273,055.65. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 10,879 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,489,008.73. This trade represents a 15.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 16,671 shares of company stock worth $2,283,051 in the last quarter. 17.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PriceSmart

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 252 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. bought a new stake in PriceSmart in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in PriceSmart by 76.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 227 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in PriceSmart during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co bought a new position in PriceSmart in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. 80.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.