Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ:LUNR) Stock Price Up 4.6% – Still a Buy?

Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR) was up 4.6% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $18.52 and last traded at $18.49. Approximately 2,226,204 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 10,876,781 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LUNR shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Intuitive Machines in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Zacks Research upgraded Intuitive Machines from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Intuitive Machines in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Intuitive Machines in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on Intuitive Machines from $15.50 to $22.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $17.27.

Intuitive Machines Trading Down 0.2%

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $18.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.14 and a beta of 1.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Intuitive Machines

In other Intuitive Machines news, SVP Timothy Price Crain II sold 23,226 shares of Intuitive Machines stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.44, for a total transaction of $405,061.44. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 359,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,273,621.44. The trade was a 6.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Peter Mcgrath sold 25,541 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.44, for a total value of $445,435.04. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 425,800 shares in the company, valued at $7,425,952. This trade represents a 5.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,689,913 shares of company stock worth $62,240,781. Company insiders own 39.75% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intuitive Machines

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LUNR. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Intuitive Machines by 13.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,090,059 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,067,000 after acquiring an additional 717,256 shares during the period. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania acquired a new stake in Intuitive Machines during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $52,689,000. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in Intuitive Machines by 22.0% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,095,383 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,238,000 after purchasing an additional 557,517 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Intuitive Machines by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,735,161 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,399,000 after purchasing an additional 61,084 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Intuitive Machines by 18.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,677,305 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,165,000 after purchasing an additional 415,359 shares during the period. 72.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Intuitive Machines Company Profile

Intuitive Machines is a Houston, Texas–based aerospace company specializing in commercial lunar exploration and services. The firm develops end-to-end solutions for robotic missions to the Moon, providing spacecraft design, mission management, navigation, communications, and data services under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

Founded in 2013 by aerospace engineers Steve Altemus, Tim Crain and Kris Kimel, Intuitive Machines has grown from a small startup into one of the leading private entities pursuing lunar surface deliveries.