Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) Shares Down 3.6% - Here's Why

Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU - Get Free Report) traded down 3.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $167.50 and last traded at $168.74. 565,135 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 33% from the average session volume of 845,785 shares. The stock had previously closed at $174.96.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LEU has been the topic of several research reports. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set a $221.00 price objective (up from $134.00) on shares of Centrus Energy in a report on Monday, June 23rd. William Blair began coverage on Centrus Energy in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Citigroup started coverage on Centrus Energy in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $104.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on Centrus Energy in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $160.00 price target for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $205.00 price objective (up previously from $145.00) on shares of Centrus Energy in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $165.63.

Centrus Energy Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09, a quick ratio of 2.46 and a current ratio of 2.93. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $118.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $92.28. The stock has a market cap of $3.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.54 and a beta of 1.36.

Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $1.68. Centrus Energy had a net margin of 16.56% and a return on equity of 84.09%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 67.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.38) EPS. On average, analysts expect that Centrus Energy Corp. will post 2.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Kevin J. Harrill sold 1,728 shares of Centrus Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.00, for a total value of $217,728.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP John M. A. Donelson sold 3,732 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.31, for a total value of $359,428.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Centrus Energy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Centrus Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Centrus Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $225,000. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in Centrus Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $15,215,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Centrus Energy by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 121,392 shares of the company's stock worth $8,086,000 after purchasing an additional 6,709 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Centrus Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $370,000. 49.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Centrus Energy Company Profile

Centrus Energy Corp. supplies nuclear fuel components and services for the nuclear power industry in the United States, Belgium, Japan, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) and Technical Solutions. The LEU segment sells separative work units (SWU) components of LEU; natural uranium hexafluoride, uranium concentrates, and uranium conversion; and enriched uranium products to utilities that operate nuclear power plants.