Shenandoah Telecommunications (NASDAQ:SHEN) Shares Gap Up - Should You Buy?

Shares of Shenandoah Telecommunications (NASDAQ:SHEN - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $14.48, but opened at $15.13. Shenandoah Telecommunications shares last traded at $15.38, with a volume of 30,558 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on SHEN shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Shenandoah Telecommunications to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. BWS Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of Shenandoah Telecommunications in a report on Thursday, August 8th.

Shenandoah Telecommunications Trading Up 4.0 %

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $14.46 and a 200 day moving average of $15.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The firm has a market cap of $821.82 million, a P/E ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 0.67.

Shenandoah Telecommunications (NASDAQ:SHEN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $85.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $86.12 million. Shenandoah Telecommunications had a net margin of 68.81% and a negative return on equity of 0.48%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Shenandoah Telecommunications will post -0.26 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Edward H. Mckay purchased 2,000 shares of Shenandoah Telecommunications stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $14.15 per share, for a total transaction of $28,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 68,951 shares in the company, valued at $975,656.65. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Shenandoah Telecommunications news, CEO Christopher E. French bought 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $14.02 per share, for a total transaction of $70,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 86,485 shares in the company, valued at $1,212,519.70. The trade was a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Edward H. Mckay bought 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $14.15 per share, with a total value of $28,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 68,951 shares in the company, valued at approximately $975,656.65. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 14,700 shares of company stock valued at $212,745. Corporate insiders own 4.37% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in Shenandoah Telecommunications by 5.6% in the second quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 21,581 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $352,000 after purchasing an additional 1,138 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Shenandoah Telecommunications by 90.8% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,484 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,182 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its holdings in Shenandoah Telecommunications by 1.7% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 105,726 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,836,000 after purchasing an additional 1,726 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Shenandoah Telecommunications by 3.0% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,390 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,182,000 after purchasing an additional 2,121 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Shenandoah Telecommunications by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 26,785 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $437,000 after purchasing an additional 2,155 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 61.96% of the company's stock.

About Shenandoah Telecommunications

Shenandoah Telecommunications Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of broadband communication services and cell tower colocation space in the Mid-Atlantic portion of the United States. It operates in two segments, Broadband and Tower. The company Broadband segment offers broadband, video, and voice services to residential and commercial customers in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky through hybrid fiber coaxial cable under the Shentel brand; and fiber optic services under the Glo Fiber brand name.