Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Pampa Energia from “buy” to “strong-buy,” although broader analyst sentiment remains “hold,” with an average price target of $105.
• Pampa Energia shares opened at $81.64, down 2.3%, while the company reported quarterly EPS of $2.50 on $746 million in revenue. Analysts expect full-year EPS of $10.66.
• Director Marcos Mindlin sold 1.502 million shares, while insiders collectively own 55.52% of the company; institutional investors own 12.77% and several recently increased their positions.

Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Pampa Energia from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Pampa Energia from $101.50 to $105.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Pampa Energia in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $105.00.

Pampa Energia Trading Down 2.3%

NYSE PAM opened at $81.64 on Friday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $83.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $83.28. Pampa Energia has a twelve month low of $54.95 and a twelve month high of $94.50. The company has a quick ratio of 3.23, a current ratio of 3.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market capitalization of $4.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.75, a PEG ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.93.

Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 30th. The utilities provider reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $746.00 million during the quarter. Pampa Energia had a return on equity of 15.33% and a net margin of 23.58%. Research analysts forecast that Pampa Energia will post 10.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Marcos Mindlin sold 1,502,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.41, for a total transaction of $5,121,820.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,555,667 shares in the company, valued at $73,504,824.47. This represents a 6.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders purchased 3,360,619 shares of company stock worth $11,311,974 over the last 90 days. 55.52% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pampa Energia

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PAM. Absolute Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. boosted its stake in Pampa Energia by 198.1% during the first quarter. Absolute Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. now owns 287,383 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,433,000 after acquiring an additional 190,963 shares in the last quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda bought a new stake in shares of Pampa Energia in the 1st quarter worth approximately $14,482,000. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. boosted its position in shares of Pampa Energia by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. now owns 88,217 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $7,808,000 after purchasing an additional 3,250 shares in the last quarter. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC grew its stake in shares of Pampa Energia by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC now owns 77,660 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $6,378,000 after buying an additional 3,699 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in Pampa Energia during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $4,896,000. 12.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Pampa Energia

Pampa Energía SA is an integrated energy company headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Through its subsidiaries and investments, the company operates across electricity generation, oil and gas exploration and production, and petrochemicals. Its activities primarily support Argentina's domestic energy market.

Pampa generates electricity from a diversified portfolio of thermal, hydroelectric, and renewable power facilities located in several regions of the country. The company also explores for and produces oil and natural gas, including from Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale formation, and participates in the production of nitrogen-based fertilizers through its investment in Profertil.

Founded in 2005, Pampa expanded its position in Argentina's energy industry through acquisitions and the development of new generation and hydrocarbon projects.

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