Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) Hits New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Central Puerto S.A. (NYSE:CEPU - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $16.60 and last traded at $16.24, with a volume of 127500 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $15.84.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Central Puerto from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 11th.

Central Puerto Trading Down 0.9 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm's 50 day moving average is $13.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.82. The stock has a market cap of $2.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.16 and a beta of 1.21.

Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 11th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.39 by ($0.19). Central Puerto had a return on equity of 22.76% and a net margin of 56.44%. The company had revenue of $185.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $200.26 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Central Puerto S.A. will post 0.69 EPS for the current year.

Central Puerto Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a -- dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were given a dividend of $0.3954 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 29th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a positive change from Central Puerto's previous -- dividend of $0.07. Central Puerto's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.51%.

Institutional Trading of Central Puerto

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Central Puerto by 169.1% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 9,942 shares of the company's stock worth $144,000 after purchasing an additional 6,248 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Central Puerto in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $157,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Central Puerto during the 3rd quarter valued at $122,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in Central Puerto during the 3rd quarter valued at $351,000. Finally, Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in Central Puerto during the 3rd quarter worth $121,000. 2.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Central Puerto

Central Puerto SA engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms.