BRF (NYSE:BRFS) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Brf S.A. (NYSE:BRFS - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $3.53, but opened at $3.40. BRF shares last traded at $3.43, with a volume of 246,595 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded BRF from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Citigroup upgraded BRF from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $10.70.

BRF Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $3.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 1.86. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $3.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $4.22.

BRF Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a -- dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 18th were issued a $0.0217 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 18th. BRF's payout ratio is currently 20.93%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. TD Private Client Wealth LLC acquired a new position in BRF during the third quarter worth $27,000. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in BRF during the fourth quarter worth $43,000. PFG Investments LLC acquired a new position in BRF during the fourth quarter worth $51,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in BRF during the fourth quarter worth $55,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in BRF by 127.1% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 15,871 shares of the company's stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 8,882 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 4.76% of the company's stock.

About BRF

BRF SA raises, produces, and slaughters poultry and pork for processing, production, and sale of fresh meat, processed products, pasta, margarine, pet food, and other products. The company provides frozen whole and cut chicken, frozen pork, and turkey, and halal products for Islamic markets; processed foods, such as marinated, frozen, seasoned whole, and cut chicken, roosters, sausages, ham products, bologna, frankfurters, salamis, bacons, cold meats, and other smoked products; and hamburgers, steaks, breaded meat products, kibbeh, and meatballs, as well as chicken sausages, hot dogs, and chicken bologna.