Dark Forest Capital Management LP Makes New $731,000 Investment in Transcat, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRNS)

Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Transcat, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRNS - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 6,911 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $731,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.07% of Transcat at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of TRNS. Champlain Investment Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Transcat by 35.7% in the fourth quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 555,650 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $58,754,000 after acquiring an additional 146,150 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in Transcat by 1,692.4% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 109,608 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $11,590,000 after purchasing an additional 103,493 shares in the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Transcat during the fourth quarter worth about $9,460,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Transcat by 133.4% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 153,196 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $16,199,000 after purchasing an additional 87,568 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ACK Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Transcat in the fourth quarter valued at about $4,758,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.34% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Transcat news, Director Craig D. Cairns acquired 1,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $77.02 per share, with a total value of $92,424.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,910 shares in the company, valued at $147,108.20. This trade represents a 169.01 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

Transcat Stock Down 4.9 %

Shares of TRNS traded down $4.15 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $80.98. The company had a trading volume of 98,370 shares, compared to its average volume of 74,296. The stock has a market cap of $753.84 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.77 and a beta of 0.67. The company's 50 day moving average price is $77.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $94.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. Transcat, Inc. has a 52 week low of $67.56 and a 52 week high of $147.12.

Transcat (NASDAQ:TRNS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.07. Transcat had a return on equity of 7.23% and a net margin of 6.22%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.56 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Transcat, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com cut Transcat from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. HC Wainwright cut their price objective on shares of Transcat from $126.00 to $106.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Oppenheimer downgraded Transcat from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Northland Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating and issued a $85.00 price target (down previously from $110.00) on shares of Transcat in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $111.50.

Transcat Profile

Transcat, Inc provides calibration and laboratory instrument services in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Service and Distribution. The Service segment offers calibration, repair, inspection, analytical qualification, preventative maintenance, consulting, and other related services.