Analysts Set Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE) Target Price at $16.50

Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Hold" from the nine research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $16.50.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com lowered Green Plains from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Green Plains from $13.00 to $8.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Truist Financial restated a "buy" rating and issued a $12.00 target price (down previously from $18.00) on shares of Green Plains in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Bank of America lowered Green Plains from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $10.00 to $4.50 in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Green Plains from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price target for the company from $14.00 to $6.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 11th.

Green Plains Price Performance

GPRE remained flat at $3.58 during trading on Thursday. The company's stock had a trading volume of 906,846 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,378,974. The company has a market cap of $231.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.63 and a beta of 1.20. Green Plains has a 52 week low of $3.14 and a 52 week high of $21.81. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $4.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $8.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Green Plains (NASDAQ:GPRE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 7th. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.86) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by ($0.64). Green Plains had a negative return on equity of 11.88% and a negative net margin of 3.36%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.13 EPS. Analysts predict that Green Plains will post -0.5 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Green Plains

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of GPRE. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in Green Plains by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 37,479 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $355,000 after acquiring an additional 1,488 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Green Plains by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 36,491 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $346,000 after purchasing an additional 1,596 shares during the last quarter. Diametric Capital LP grew its holdings in Green Plains by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Diametric Capital LP now owns 22,890 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $217,000 after buying an additional 2,388 shares during the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its position in Green Plains by 28.2% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 11,394 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $108,000 after buying an additional 2,503 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Green Plains by 433.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,344 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 2,717 shares in the last quarter.

About Green Plains

Green Plains Inc produces low-carbon fuels in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Ethanol Production, Agribusiness and Energy Services, and Partnership. The Ethanol Production segment produces ethanol, distillers grains, and ultra-high protein and renewable corn oil.