PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

PriceSmart Stock Performance

Shares of PriceSmart stock traded down $0.14 on Friday, reaching $89.74. 81,994 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 149,990. The firm has a market cap of $2.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.64 and a beta of 0.85. PriceSmart has a 1-year low of $66.95 and a 1-year high of $94.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 1.22. The company's 50-day moving average is $90.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $86.56.

PriceSmart (NASDAQ:PSMT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.01 by ($0.07). PriceSmart had a return on equity of 12.63% and a net margin of 2.83%. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.65 earnings per share. PriceSmart's quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that PriceSmart will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at PriceSmart

In other news, EVP Paul Kovaleski sold 3,235 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.96, for a total transaction of $291,020.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,309 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,986,037.64. This trade represents a 6.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP David R. Price sold 2,750 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.24, for a total transaction of $253,660.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 48,844 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,505,370.56. The trade was a 5.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 16,290 shares of company stock valued at $1,476,009 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 18.60% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PriceSmart

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of PriceSmart in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in PriceSmart during the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of PriceSmart by 76.4% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 418 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PriceSmart in the 2nd quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PriceSmart in the second quarter valued at $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.46% of the company's stock.

PriceSmart Company Profile

PriceSmart, Inc owns and operates U.S.-style membership shopping warehouse clubs in the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and Colombia. The company provides basic and private label consumer products under the Member's Selection brand, including groceries, cleaning supplies, health and beauty aids, meat, produce, deli, seafood, and poultry.