Amtech Systems (NASDAQ:ASYS) Shares Pass Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Amtech Systems shares moved above their 200-day moving average on Wednesday, trading as high as $19.48 before last changing hands at $18.26. The move came on volume of 445,504 shares.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally constructive, with Roth Capital reiterating a $22 price target and the consensus rating listed as “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $22.00. Recent updates included upgrades from Wall Street Zen and Zacks Research, while Weiss Ratings trimmed its view slightly.
• The company beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, reporting $0.10 EPS versus the $0.05 consensus and revenue of $20.47 million versus $19.50 million expected. Analysts currently expect Amtech to earn $0.24 per share for the full year.

Shares of Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASYS - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $16.30 and traded as high as $19.48. Amtech Systems shares last traded at $18.26, with a volume of 445,504 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on ASYS. Roth Capital restated a "buy" rating and issued a $22.00 price objective on shares of Amtech Systems in a report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Amtech Systems from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Amtech Systems from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Amtech Systems from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Amtech Systems has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $22.00.

Amtech Systems Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $265.87 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 107.41 and a beta of 1.98. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $20.58 and a 200-day moving average of $16.30.

Amtech Systems (NASDAQ:ASYS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The semiconductor company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05 by $0.05. Amtech Systems had a return on equity of 5.58% and a net margin of 3.11%.The company had revenue of $20.47 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.50 million. On average, analysts predict that Amtech Systems, Inc. will post 0.24 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amtech Systems

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ASYS. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in shares of Amtech Systems by 235.0% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 352,624 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $4,425,000 after purchasing an additional 247,352 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in Amtech Systems during the 3rd quarter worth $1,689,000. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in Amtech Systems by 85.7% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 325,754 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $4,088,000 after buying an additional 150,332 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in Amtech Systems by 622.1% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 146,596 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,840,000 after buying an additional 126,296 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new position in Amtech Systems in the 4th quarter worth $1,122,000. 50.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Amtech Systems Company Profile

Amtech Systems, Inc is a global supplier of capital equipment and aftermarket parts for the solar photovoltaic and semiconductor industries. The company's solutions support key steps in wafer and cell production, offering both new machinery and spares designed to optimize yield, throughput and energy efficiency. Amtech operates through two primary segments: solar manufacturing and semiconductor & electronics packaging.

In its solar segment, Amtech provides diffusion furnaces, epitaxy reactors and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) systems used in high-volume solar cell fabrication.

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