NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT) Stock Price Down 1.9% - Should You Sell?

Shares of NetScout Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTCT - Get Free Report) fell 1.9% on Monday . The company traded as low as $22.04 and last traded at $22.07. 129,407 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 70% from the average session volume of 429,690 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.49.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on NTCT. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on NetScout Systems from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com upgraded NetScout Systems from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th.

NetScout Systems Trading Down 1.7 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market cap of $1.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.67 and a beta of 0.64. The business has a 50 day moving average of $22.85 and a 200 day moving average of $21.86.

NetScout Systems (NASDAQ:NTCT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The technology company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.04. NetScout Systems had a positive return on equity of 6.76% and a negative net margin of 50.90%. On average, research analysts forecast that NetScout Systems, Inc. will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Insider Activity at NetScout Systems

In other NetScout Systems news, insider Jean A. Bua sold 11,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.92, for a total value of $287,016.08. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 71,361 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,706,955.12. This trade represents a 14.39 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John Downing sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.25, for a total value of $72,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 130,352 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,161,036. The trade was a 2.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 21,499 shares of company stock valued at $512,321 over the last quarter. Insiders own 3.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of NetScout Systems

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FMR LLC boosted its stake in NetScout Systems by 32.1% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,964 shares of the technology company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 477 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,495 shares of the technology company's stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 28,296 shares of the technology company's stock worth $615,000 after purchasing an additional 606 shares during the period. Mariner LLC raised its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 13,307 shares of the technology company's stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 681 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of NetScout Systems by 25.7% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,606 shares of the technology company's stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 737 shares during the period. 91.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About NetScout Systems

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.