ARKO (NASDAQ:ARKO) Reaches New 52-Week High - Here's Why

Key Points

• ARKO hit a new 52-week high — the stock traded as high as $6.74 (last $6.73) and was up about 6.8% on Friday with roughly 844,803 shares traded.
• Analyst outlook is mixed with a consensus "Hold" — analyst ratings range from Strong Buy to Sell, producing a MarketBeat consensus Hold and an average target price of $7.00 (Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)").
• Insider buying and dividend — CFO Charles Galagher purchased 40,000 shares at $5.07, insiders own 22.5% of the company, and ARKO pays a $0.03 quarterly dividend (about a 1.8% yield, 85.7% payout ratio).

ARKO Corp. (NASDAQ:ARKO - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $6.74 and last traded at $6.73, with a volume of 844803 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $6.30.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of ARKO in a research note on Friday, April 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $7.00.

ARKO Trading Up 6.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.02, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The company has a market capitalization of $746.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.07 and a beta of 0.86. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $5.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.07.

ARKO (NASDAQ:ARKO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01) by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.81 billion. ARKO had a net margin of 0.30% and a return on equity of 8.58%. Research analysts anticipate that ARKO Corp. will post 0.2 EPS for the current year.

ARKO Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th were paid a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 10th. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. ARKO's payout ratio is currently 85.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other ARKO news, CFO Charles Galagher Jeff acquired 40,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $5.07 per share, for a total transaction of $202,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 40,000 shares in the company, valued at $202,800. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 22.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. MQS Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ARKO during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of ARKO during the fourth quarter worth about $46,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of ARKO by 193.1% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 12,317 shares of the company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 8,115 shares during the period. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. acquired a new position in shares of ARKO during the fourth quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of ARKO during the fourth quarter worth about $58,000. 78.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About ARKO

ARKO Corp NASDAQ: ARKO is a downstream energy and convenience retail company based in Matthews, North Carolina. The company's core operations encompass fuel supply, distribution and retailing through a network of terminals, independent dealer locations and company-operated convenience stores. ARKO's fuel offerings include branded and unbranded gasoline and diesel, as well as lubricants and other petroleum products marketed under various regional and private labels.

In its retail segment, ARKO operates a portfolio of convenience stores under the Kangaroo Express banner, serving on-site customers with fuel, grab-and-go food items, beverages and everyday household essentials.

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