NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 0.2% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $21.60 and last traded at $21.66. 42,999 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 91% from the average session volume of 501,574 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.62.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NTCT. StockNews.com raised NetScout Systems from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on NetScout Systems from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on NTCT
NetScout Systems Stock Down 0.2 %
The business's fifty day moving average is $22.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.88. The stock has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.65 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.
NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The technology company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.04. NetScout Systems had a negative net margin of 50.90% and a positive return on equity of 6.76%. Equities analysts forecast that NetScout Systems, Inc. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, COO Michael Szabados sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.47, for a total value of $152,555.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 35,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $844,661.83. This represents a 15.30 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John Downing sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.25, for a total transaction of $72,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 130,352 shares in the company, valued at $3,161,036. This represents a 2.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 21,499 shares of company stock worth $512,321. Corporate insiders own 3.71% of the company's stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On NetScout Systems
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NTCT. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 1,214.4% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,367 shares of the technology company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,263 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP increased its position in NetScout Systems by 316.8% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,513 shares of the technology company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of NetScout Systems by 32.1% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,964 shares of the technology company's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 477 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 811.9% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,973 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 52.4% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,100 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 1,066 shares during the last quarter. 91.64% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
About NetScout Systems
(
Get Free Report)
NetScout Systems, Inc provides service assurance and cybersecurity solutions for protect digital business services against disruptions in the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company offers nGeniusONE management software that enables customers to predict, preempt, and resolve network and service delivery problems, as well as facilitate the optimization and capacity planning of their network infrastructures; and specialized platforms and analytic modules that enable its customers to analyze and troubleshoot traffic in radio access and Wi-Fi networks.
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