Brink's (NYSE:BCO) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Brink's (NYSE:BCO) from a "buy" to a "strong-buy," while other firms have raised targets (Truist to $163, Goldman to $145), leaving a MarketBeat average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target of $154.
• Fundamentals and capital returns look supportive: Brink's beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.54 vs. $2.47, revenue $1.38B, +9.1% y/y) and its board authorized a $750M buyback—about 15.4% of shares outstanding.

Brink's (NYSE:BCO - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Sunday.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on BCO. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Brink's from $138.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Brink's from $129.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $154.00.

Brink's Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BCO opened at $107.07 on Friday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $124.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.41 billion, a PE ratio of 22.83 and a beta of 1.09. Brink's has a fifty-two week low of $80.10 and a fifty-two week high of $136.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.35, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a current ratio of 1.51.

Brink's (NYSE:BCO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The business services provider reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.35 billion. Brink's had a net margin of 3.80% and a return on equity of 89.90%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.12 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Brink's will post 6.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brink's announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, December 11th that permits the company to repurchase $750.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the business services provider to repurchase up to 15.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Brink's news, insider Michael E. Sweeney sold 1,418 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.50, for a total transaction of $169,451.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,755 shares of the company's stock, valued at $687,722.50. This trade represents a 19.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brink's

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BCO. Caldwell Trust Co bought a new stake in Brink's during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Brink's by 150.5% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 243 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brink's in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Brink's during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brink's during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 94.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Brink's

The Brink's Company NYSE: BCO is a global leader in secure logistics and cash management solutions. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services that span armored transportation, cash-in-transit (CIT), ATM services, smart safe solutions, and valuables storage. Through its network of service centers and armored vehicles, Brink's ensures the safe and efficient movement of currency, precious metals, and other high-value assets for banks, retailers, mints, and government agencies.

Brink's armored transport operations are complemented by technology-driven cash management offerings, including deposit automation and secure vaulting.

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