Wall Street Zen Downgrades Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM) to Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Pampa Energia from “strong buy” to “buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “hold,” with a consensus price target of $105.
• PAM shares opened at $77.95, down 0.9%, and trade below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The company reported quarterly EPS of $2.50 on $746 million in revenue, with analysts projecting $10.94 in full-year EPS.
• Insider and institutional interest remains notable: Director Marcos Mindlin bought 500,000 shares, while insiders purchased nearly 1.95 million shares during the last quarter; institutional investors own 12.77% of the company.

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

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Pampa Energia from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on 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 report on Wednesday, September 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Pampa Energia presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $105.00.

Pampa Energia Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE:PAM opened at $77.95 on Friday. 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 stock's fifty day moving average is $83.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $83.36. Pampa Energia has a 52 week low of $57.14 and a 52 week high of $94.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.25 and a beta of 0.93.

Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The utilities provider reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $746.00 million during the quarter. Pampa Energia had a net margin of 23.58% and a return on equity of 15.33%. Research analysts anticipate that Pampa Energia will post 10.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Pampa Energia

In other Pampa Energia news, Director Marcos Mindlin acquired 500,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $3.44 per share, with a total value of $1,720,000.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 22,680,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,021,236.48. This trade represents a 2.25% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders have purchased 1,949,925 shares of company stock valued at $6,572,719 in the last quarter. 55.52% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pampa Energia

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PAM. Absolute Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. increased its position 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 buying an additional 190,963 shares in the last quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda acquired a new stake in shares of Pampa Energia during the first quarter valued at $14,482,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Pampa Energia during the first quarter valued at $4,896,000. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC raised its stake in Pampa Energia by 183.3% in the 1st quarter. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC now owns 73,961 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $6,359,000 after purchasing an additional 47,856 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new position in Pampa Energia in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,105,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 12.77% of the company's stock.

Pampa Energia Company Profile

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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