National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) Upgraded by Wedbush to Outperform Rating

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wedbush from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report released on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has a $7.50 target price on the business services provider's stock. Wedbush's price objective suggests a potential upside of 30.43% from the company's current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $8.00 target price on shares of National CineMedia in a research note on Friday, March 7th. StockNews.com raised National CineMedia from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Barrington Research lowered their target price on National CineMedia from $8.25 to $7.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Finally, William Blair restated a "neutral" rating and set a $7.50 price target on shares of National CineMedia in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $7.70.

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National CineMedia Stock Performance

NCMI traded down $0.08 during trading on Friday, hitting $5.75. 665,573 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 649,717. The company has a quick ratio of 2.46, a current ratio of 2.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. National CineMedia has a 1-year low of $4.12 and a 1-year high of $7.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $6.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $6.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $547.46 million, a P/E ratio of -23.00 and a beta of 2.19.

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The business services provider reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $86.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $84.77 million. National CineMedia had a negative net margin of 9.49% and a negative return on equity of 2.61%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that National CineMedia will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at National CineMedia

In related news, major shareholder Blantyre Capital Ltd purchased 300,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $5.12 per share, with a total value of $1,536,000.00. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 10,250,721 shares in the company, valued at $52,483,691.52. This trade represents a 3.01 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Maria Vg Woods sold 23,742 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.51, for a total transaction of $154,560.42. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 66,987 shares of the company's stock, valued at $436,085.37. This trade represents a 26.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.25% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National CineMedia

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sycale Advisors NY LLC purchased a new stake in National CineMedia during the fourth quarter worth $14,147,000. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of National CineMedia during the 4th quarter worth $4,546,000. Ranger Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of National CineMedia during the 4th quarter worth $4,058,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of National CineMedia by 240.5% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 721,697 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $5,088,000 after buying an additional 509,756 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC grew its stake in National CineMedia by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 6,936,947 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $48,905,000 after acquiring an additional 365,360 shares during the last quarter. 69.49% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National CineMedia Company Profile

National CineMedia, Inc, through its subsidiary, National CineMedia, LLC, operates cinema advertising network in North America. It engages in the sale of advertising to national, regional, and local businesses in Noovie, a cinema advertising and entertainment show seen on movie screens; and sells advertising on its Lobby Entertainment Network, a series of strategically-placed screens located in movie theater lobbies, as well as other forms of advertising and promotions in theatre lobbies.