Ameresco (NYSE:AMRC) Shares Gap Down - Time to Sell?

Shares of Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $10.09, but opened at $9.73. Ameresco shares last traded at $9.98, with a volume of 36,885 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Baird R W cut shares of Ameresco from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. UBS Group cut Ameresco from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $37.00 to $8.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Ameresco from $34.00 to $18.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $13.00 target price (down previously from $25.00) on shares of Ameresco in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on shares of Ameresco from $36.00 to $27.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $24.86.

Ameresco Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $12.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $527.72 million, a PE ratio of 10.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.02.

Ameresco (NYSE:AMRC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $532.67 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $524.31 million. Ameresco had a net margin of 3.18% and a return on equity of 5.68%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ameresco, Inc. will post 1.15 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Francis V. Wisneski, Jr. bought 3,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $9.67 per share, for a total transaction of $33,845.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,738 shares in the company, valued at $171,526.46. The trade was a 24.58 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO George P. Sakellaris purchased 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $9.96 per share, with a total value of $498,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 903,638 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,000,234.48. This represents a 5.86 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders acquired 80,808 shares of company stock worth $785,274 and sold 40,085 shares worth $843,378. Company insiders own 42.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ameresco

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of Ameresco by 257.9% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 5,350 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $203,000 after buying an additional 3,855 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new position in Ameresco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $146,000. Cetera Trust Company N.A boosted its holdings in shares of Ameresco by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Cetera Trust Company N.A now owns 6,800 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $160,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Ameresco by 145.0% in the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 7,371 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 4,362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Ameresco by 132.0% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,009 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 4,557 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.24% of the company's stock.

Ameresco Company Profile

Ameresco, Inc, a clean technology integrator, provides a portfolio of energy efficiency and renewable energy supply solutions in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. It operates through U.S. Regions, U.S. Federal, Canada, Europe, Alternative Fuels, and All Other segments. The company offers energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, energy security and resilience, asset sustainability, and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations.