Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU) Trading Up 8.5% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Centrus Energy Corp. shares saw an 8.5% increase during mid-day trading, reaching a high of $242.03, following a previous close at $222.13.
• Despite the stock's surge, the trading volume dropped by 32%, with a total of 712,775 shares traded against an average of over 1 million.
• Recent analyst ratings show a generally positive outlook, with the consensus target price being $202.09 and most analysts recommending a "buy" or "hold" stance on the stock.

Shares of Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU - Get Free Report) shot up 8.5% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $242.03 and last traded at $240.91. 712,775 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 32% from the average session volume of 1,054,074 shares. The stock had previously closed at $222.13.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on LEU. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Centrus Energy in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating and set a $285.00 price objective (up from $210.00) on shares of Centrus Energy in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Centrus Energy in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Centrus Energy to a "hold" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 21st. Finally, Northland Capmk upgraded shares of Centrus Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $202.09.

Centrus Energy Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $213.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $142.83. The stock has a market cap of $5.41 billion, a PE ratio of 67.57 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09, a quick ratio of 2.46 and a current ratio of 2.93.

Centrus Energy (NYSE:LEU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by $1.01. Centrus Energy had a return on equity of 84.09% and a net margin of 16.56%.Centrus Energy's revenue for the quarter was down 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.89 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Centrus Energy Corp. will post 2.63 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centrus Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LEU. Stone House Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Centrus Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of Centrus Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Centrus Energy by 157.7% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 183 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in shares of Centrus Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Centrus Energy by 1,181.3% during the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 205 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. 49.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Centrus Energy

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.