Aperam (OTCMKTS:APEMY) Stock Price Up 12.5% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Aperam's stock price increased by 12.5%, reaching a last trading price of $36.63, with trading volume surging by 434% compared to the average.
• Despite positive price movement, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Aperam from a "buy" to a "hold" rating, while Zacks Research upgraded it from a "strong sell" to a "hold" rating.
• The company announced a dividend of $0.444 per share, representing a stunning dividend yield of 571.0%, which is well above the industry standard.

Aperam (OTCMKTS:APEMY - Get Free Report) rose 12.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $36.63 and last traded at $36.63. Approximately 1,253 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 434% from the average daily volume of 235 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.57.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on APEMY. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Aperam from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Aperam from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Aperam currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Aperam Stock Up 12.5%

The stock has a market cap of $2.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.67 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm's fifty day moving average is $31.01 and its 200 day moving average is $30.95.

Aperam (OTCMKTS:APEMY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.38 by ($0.10). Aperam had a net margin of 3.11% and a return on equity of 1.72%. The business had revenue of $1.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Aperam will post 2.84 EPS for the current year.

Aperam Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th were issued a dividend of $0.444 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 15th. This represents a dividend yield of 571.0%. Aperam's payout ratio is 68.17%.

About Aperam

Aperam SA, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells stainless and specialty steel products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Stainless & Electrical Steel; Services & Solutions; Alloys & Specialties; and Recycling & Renewables. The company offers a range of stainless steel products, including grain oriented and non-grain oriented electrical steel products, and specialty alloys.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.