National Research (NASDAQ:NRC) Stock Moved Up to "Hold" by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded National Research to a “Hold” rating. The stock’s consensus rating remains “Hold,” with one Buy and two Hold ratings and an average price target of $26.00.
• National Research shares opened at $20.08, down 3.4%, with a market capitalization of approximately $456.8 million. The stock trades at a high P/E ratio of 80.32 and has ranged from $11.01 to $23.68 over the past year.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.31 in EPS versus the consensus estimate of a $0.15 loss and revenue of $35.39 million. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own approximately 47.26% of the company.

National Research (NASDAQ:NRC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Zacks Research to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

NRC has been the subject of several other reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of National Research from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings raised National Research from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Citizens Jmp lifted their target price on National Research from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $26.00.

National Research Stock Down 3.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:NRC opened at $20.08 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $456.82 million, a PE ratio of 80.32 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.13, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.65. National Research has a 1 year low of $11.01 and a 1 year high of $23.68.

National Research (NASDAQ:NRC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.15) by $0.46. National Research had a net margin of 4.18% and a return on equity of 164.26%. The firm had revenue of $35.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.90 million. On average, equities analysts predict that National Research will post 0.98 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On National Research

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NRC. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of National Research by 3.0% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 112,468 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,323 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in National Research by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 250,707 shares of the company's stock worth $4,257,000 after buying an additional 9,730 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in National Research during the 1st quarter worth approximately $180,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in National Research during the 1st quarter worth approximately $226,000. Finally, DGS Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of National Research during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $274,000. 47.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About National Research

National Research Corporation, formerly traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol NRC and known as NRC Health, provides market research, analytics and performance-improvement services to healthcare organizations. Its solutions are designed to help hospitals, health systems and other providers understand the experiences and expectations of patients, employees, physicians and communities.

The company's offerings have included patient-experience measurement, employee and physician engagement surveys, reputation and brand research, community health assessments, data analytics and advisory services.

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