Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) Hits New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Bristow Group hit a new 52-week high of $50.38 (last around $49.53) and carries a MarketBeat consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $60 average target from analysts (three Buys, one Hold).
• Bristow beat EPS estimates with $0.61 versus $0.46 but posted slightly lighter revenue ($377.3M vs. $380.3M expected) and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.125 (annualized $0.50, ~1.0% yield).
• Insiders sold 61,104 shares (~$2.87M) in the last quarter — including sizable sales by the COO and CFO that reduced their stakes — and insiders now own roughly 13.4% of the company.

Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE:VTOL - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $50.38 and last traded at $49.53, with a volume of 50513 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $49.42.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bristow Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, March 8th. JonesTrading assumed coverage on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bristow Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. Three 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, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $60.00.

Bristow Group Trading Up 0.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.54. The company's fifty day moving average is $46.74 and its 200-day moving average is $42.11. The stock has a market cap of $1.47 billion, a PE ratio of 11.48 and a beta of 1.29.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.15. Bristow Group had a net margin of 8.66% and a return on equity of 12.87%. The firm had revenue of $377.26 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $380.33 million. On average, analysts predict that Bristow Group Inc. will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bristow Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be given a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Bristow Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.57%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Stuart Stavley sold 24,908 shares of Bristow Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.02, for a total value of $1,171,174.16. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 85,790 shares in the company, valued at $4,033,845.80. This trade represents a 22.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Jennifer Dawn Whalen sold 26,667 shares of Bristow Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.90, for a total transaction of $1,250,682.30. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 108,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,076,502.90. This trade represents a 19.77% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 61,104 shares of company stock valued at $2,869,206. 13.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bristow Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Bristow Group during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its position in Bristow Group by 1,450.7% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,070 shares of the company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in Bristow Group by 1,645.3% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,117 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,053 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Bristow Group during the first quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Bristow Group by 121.4% during the fourth quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 1,824 shares of the company's stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. 93.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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