Guidewire Software (NYSE:GWRE) Reaches New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE:GWRE - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $218.01 and last traded at $217.15, with a volume of 940885 shares. The stock had previously closed at $212.68.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWRE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. DA Davidson reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $210.00 price objective on shares of Guidewire Software in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Guidewire Software in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Guidewire Software from $215.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, December 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Guidewire Software in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Guidewire Software from $210.00 to $228.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, December 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Guidewire Software has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $202.00.

Guidewire Software Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $17.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 593.01, a PEG ratio of 56.59 and a beta of 1.25. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $184.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $176.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 2.66 and a quick ratio of 2.66.

Insider Activity at Guidewire Software

In other news, President John P. Mullen sold 1,350 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.72, for a total value of $266,922.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 189,261 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,420,684.92. This represents a 0.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Michael George Rosenbaum sold 1,400 shares of Guidewire Software stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.42, for a total value of $291,788.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 276,130 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $57,551,014.60. The trade was a 0.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 36,106 shares of company stock worth $6,489,127. Insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Guidewire Software

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Guidewire Software by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 8,756 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $1,476,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. AGF Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Guidewire Software in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,159,000. Independent Advisor Alliance bought a new stake in Guidewire Software during the fourth quarter worth about $2,786,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in Guidewire Software by 13.3% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 21,023 shares of the technology company's stock worth $3,544,000 after buying an additional 2,467 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in Guidewire Software during the fourth quarter worth about $2,442,000.

About Guidewire Software

Guidewire Software, Inc provides a platform for property and casualty (P&C) insurers worldwide. The company offers Guidewire InsuranceSuite Cloud, such as PolicyCenter Cloud, BillingCenter Cloud, and ClaimCenter Cloud applications. It also provides Guidewire InsuranceNow, a cloud-based platform that offers policy, billing, and claims management functionality to insurers; and Guidewire InsuranceSuite for Self-Managed.