GeoPark (NYSE:GPRK) Cut to Buy at StockNews.com

GeoPark (NYSE:GPRK - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of GeoPark from $11.50 to $12.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th.

GeoPark Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GPRK traded up $0.07 during trading on Monday, hitting $8.12. 600,302 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 398,198. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $8.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.40. The company has a market cap of $449.26 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 1.32. GeoPark has a 52-week low of $7.24 and a 52-week high of $11.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

GeoPark (NYSE:GPRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The oil and gas company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.78 by ($0.30). The business had revenue of $190.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $182.74 million. GeoPark had a return on equity of 60.77% and a net margin of 14.28%. As a group, equities analysts predict that GeoPark will post 3.09 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GPRK. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of GeoPark in the 2nd quarter worth about $460,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in GeoPark during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,261,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd raised its position in GeoPark by 40.6% during the first quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 85,080 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $817,000 after purchasing an additional 24,555 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new stake in shares of GeoPark in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,929,000. Finally, Aristides Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of GeoPark in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $286,000. 68.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About GeoPark

GeoPark Limited operates as an oil and natural gas exploration and production company primarily in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and other Latin American countries. It engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas reserves. The company was formerly known as GeoPark Holdings Limited and changed its name to GeoPark Limited in July 2013.