Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU) Shares Down 4.5% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Central Puerto's shares fell 4.5%, trading as low as $10.50, with a significant decline in volume, indicating increased selling pressure.
• Analyst ratings have shifted, with Wall Street Zen upgrading the stock from "buy" to "strong-buy," although the consensus remains a "Hold" with a price target of $12.00.
• Incorporating institutional interest, several hedge funds have increased their holdings in Central Puerto, showcasing a varied investment strategy in the wake of recent market fluctuations.

Central Puerto S.A. Sponsored ADR (NYSE:CEPU - Get Free Report)'s stock price was down 4.5% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $10.50 and last traded at $10.53. Approximately 46,602 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 84% from the average daily volume of 291,447 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.02.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Central Puerto from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $12.00.

Central Puerto Trading Down 1.0%

The stock's fifty day moving average price is $11.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $11.86. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market cap of $1.62 billion, a PE ratio of 10.91 and a beta of 1.10.

Central Puerto (NYSE:CEPU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 14th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter. Central Puerto had a net margin of 21.30% and a return on equity of 11.81%. The firm had revenue of $179.60 million for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Central Puerto S.A. Sponsored ADR will post 0.63 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Central Puerto

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Central Puerto by 13.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 20,531 shares of the company's stock valued at $240,000 after buying an additional 2,460 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in Central Puerto by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 53,073 shares of the company's stock valued at $620,000 after buying an additional 3,424 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Central Puerto by 14.8% in the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,782,883 shares of the company's stock worth $32,504,000 after acquiring an additional 359,121 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in Central Puerto in the second quarter worth approximately $1,149,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Central Puerto by 41.1% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 30,434 shares of the company's stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 8,867 shares during the period. 2.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Central Puerto

Central Puerto SA engages in the electric power generation in Argentina. It operates through three segments: Electric Power Generation from Conventional Sources, Electric Power Generation from Renewable Sources, and Natural Gas Transport and Distribution. The company generates energy through thermal, hydroelectric, and wind farms.