Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Bristow Group from buy to hold, while the broader analyst view remains Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $60.00.
• The stock was down about 0.4% and opened at $42.39; Bristow has a $1.26 billion market cap, a P/E of 11.04, and shares have traded between $28.03 and $50.38 over the past year.
• Bristow recently reported EPS of $0.44, missing estimates of $1.01, even though revenue of $388.71 million slightly topped expectations; insiders also sold shares, including COO Stuart Stavley and Director Wesley E. Kern.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on VTOL. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bristow Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. Finally, JonesTrading started coverage on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $60.00.

Bristow Group Stock Down 0.4%

VTOL stock opened at $42.39 on Friday. Bristow Group has a one year low of $28.03 and a one year high of $50.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a PE ratio of 11.04 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.54 and a current ratio of 2.15. The company has a fifty day moving average of $46.63 and a 200-day moving average of $42.25.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.01 by ($0.57). Bristow Group had a net margin of 7.51% and a return on equity of 11.10%. The company had revenue of $388.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $383.68 million. As a group, analysts expect that Bristow Group will post 4.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Bristow Group news, COO Stuart Stavley sold 24,908 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.02, for a total transaction of $1,171,174.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 85,790 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,033,845.80. This trade represents a 22.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Wesley E. Kern sold 3,079 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.83, for a total transaction of $144,189.57. Following the transaction, the director owned 32,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,498,560. This trade represents a 8.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 61,104 shares of company stock worth $2,869,206 in the last three months. Company insiders own 13.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bristow Group

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Bristow Group by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,509 shares of the company's stock valued at $211,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Summit Global Investments purchased a new position in Bristow Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,024,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Bristow Group by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,753,392 shares of the company's stock valued at $82,212,000 after acquiring an additional 45,874 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Bristow Group by 40.0% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 22,765 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,064,000 after acquiring an additional 6,508 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Bristow Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $797,000. 93.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bristow Group Company Profile

Bristow Group Inc is a global provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations worldwide. The company specializes in the safe and efficient transport of personnel, equipment and supplies to offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as emergency response and medevac services. Bristow's operations support exploration, production and decommissioning activities, helping energy companies maintain continuity of production in some of the world's most challenging environments.

The company maintains a diverse fleet of turbine-powered helicopters, including medium- and heavy-lift aircraft such as the Sikorsky S-92, Airbus H225 (formerly EC225) and Leonardo AW189.

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