National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) Rating Increased to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded National CineMedia from “sell” to “hold.” Overall analyst sentiment is “Hold,” with an average price target of $4.81, although ratings range from “strong sell” to “outperform.”
• NCMI shares rose 4% to $2.60, but remain below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting an adjusted loss of $0.10 per share and revenue of $58.4 million.
• Institutional investors own approximately 69.5% of the company and several funds increased their holdings, while an insider sold 12,058 shares in July.

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other analysts have also commented on NCMI. Barrington Research set a $4.25 price objective on National CineMedia in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research downgraded National CineMedia from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings raised National CineMedia from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Wedbush set a $5.00 price target on National CineMedia and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $4.81.

National CineMedia Stock Up 4.0%

Shares of NCMI stock traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $2.60. 1,246,630 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,537,719. The stock has a market cap of $243.83 million, a P/E ratio of -28.89 and a beta of 1.38. The stock's fifty day moving average is $3.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.42. National CineMedia has a 52-week low of $2.16 and a 52-week high of $5.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.84.

National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 11th. The business services provider reported ($0.10) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.09) by ($0.01). National CineMedia had a negative return on equity of 1.31% and a negative net margin of 3.05%.The firm had revenue of $58.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $59.34 million. Equities analysts predict that National CineMedia will post 0.05 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at National CineMedia

In other news, insider Maria Vg Woods sold 12,058 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.77, for a total transaction of $45,458.66. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 163,162 shares of the company's stock, valued at $615,120.74. The trade was a 6.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of National CineMedia

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Luxor Capital Group LP increased its holdings in shares of National CineMedia by 61.3% in the first quarter. Luxor Capital Group LP now owns 1,820,737 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $5,553,000 after purchasing an additional 691,879 shares during the period. Zazove Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of National CineMedia by 78.3% during the first quarter. Zazove Associates LLC now owns 458,939 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,400,000 after purchasing an additional 201,564 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in National CineMedia in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,653,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in National CineMedia in the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in National CineMedia by 38.7% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 74,983 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $229,000 after buying an additional 20,928 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.49% of the company's stock.

National CineMedia Company Profile

National CineMedia, Inc is a leading U.S. out-of-home media company specializing in cinema advertising. The firm operates a proprietary network that delivers high-impact advertising content to moviegoers across a broad footprint of theaters, offering brands a targeted and immersive way to engage audiences in a captive, distraction-free environment.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, National CineMedia began as a joint venture among several major exhibition chains.

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